Unreliable Narrator
by Xaphrin
Summary: Rorek visits the tower requesting Malchior's book from Raven so he can permanently destroy it. She refuses, and in the wake of her decision, she learns that what she knew about the lives of Malchior and Rorek were not entirely true. Now, she must team up with Malchior to save the city from a power-hungry sorcerer, hell-bent on preserving his seemingly spotless reputation.
1. Prologue

**Unreliable Narrator  
**_A Raven and Malchior Story_

Prologue

)O(

It was important to Raven to remember that Malchior was, at all times, just a creature. He was an over grown lizard with an ego two sizes too large. And in the story of her life, he was nothing more than a period. An end to a sentence she would much rather pretend had never been written. That was it. A lizard did not have a history, or thoughts, or intrigues. It was an animal, more likely to be run over by a vehicle than to pull on the heartstrings of a young woman like Raven.

And that was what she reminded herself as she locked the book in a steel trunk and tucked it in a dark, musty corner of the tower's basement.

"You wish to keep me here?"

Raven stared at the metal locks, frowning. "I'd rather not keep you at all. But if I can prevent you from taking advantage of another poor soul, then I can put up with your whining for sometime." Raven moved some larger boxes on top of the trunk, trying to muffle any noise that might escape. Or, more precisely, any words.

"It's wet down here. My ink will smudge."

"If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to weight you down and toss you into the bay." Raven grinned at the box, which shuddered slightly under the thread. "Then I wonder what will happen to your ink?"  
"You're a witch."

"Only because you made me one." She dusted off her cloak and looked around the basement, noticing the dust that had gathered on so many boxes. How long had they all been here? How long would the steel trunk stay down here? "Now, if you don't mind, I am going back upstairs to have dinner and be with my friends." She snarled a little. "You know _real friends_ ones that don't pretend to be gifts in disguise. But then again, I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"You keep your lips sealed, Raven!" The trunk gave such a violent shudder, that several boxes toppled over, sending various items sprawling across the floor. Raven took a step back, staring at the trunk. Her heart jumped to her throat and she fought to swallow it. "You have no idea what betrayal is... so, go upstairs to your _friends_ and leave me be, you useless witch." Silence.

Raven, against her better judgment, moved forward half a step, her hand outstretched as if she were going to comfort something. And then she remembered, it was nothing more than a lizard. She picked up the boxes and returned them to their spot on the trunk. Silence filled her ears, taking the place of the beautiful whispers that had been there the past few weeks. That was fine with her.

Raven turned the light off and headed upstairs, sealing her thoughts away in the darkness of her mind and in the dusty corners of the basements. This was the end, and she knew that. He was, after all, just a creature, and creatures didn't have feelings. Leave him here for as long as she wanted, he wouldn't even notice.

Months passed, and things slowly returned to normal. The story seemed to fade away on everyone's lips, Memories became broken photographs, locked away in a forgotten box. The team kept busy, Raven even more so. Being occupied meant that she couldn't focus on those few disastrous weeks. She was free from things that haunted her when her mind was at rest. At least, she thought she was, until that cold, January morning.

"That's no fair!"

"Beast Boy, _life _isn't fair."

"What are you, my mom?"

"No. I don't have the patience to house train you." Cyborg snorted and went back to beating Beast Boy's character to the high heavens. A few more insults were thrown back and forth, but nothing out of the ordinary. Robin stood in the kitchen, watching them with an expression of mild amusement.

"You would think that they'd grow up, eventually."

Raven smiled at her leader, before returning to her tea. "That's like asking the sky to turn green. It won't happen, so don't even bother." There was a long pause and Raven could feel Robin's stare on her, watching her unhurried movements carefully. Every so often, he looked at her with concern, as if she was breaking apart piece by piece, and then he asked that stupid question. She sighed and looked up at him. "Go ahead, ask away."

He at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. "I know I ask you all the time but... are you okay?"

"You _do _ask me all the time, and you know how I feel about your incessant prying." Raven gave him a coy smile, but he didn't buy it. "For the millionth time, I'm _fine. _So, stop worrying about me." She shrugged, trying to keep her mind from wandering there. It felt like a fruitless task, but she would never let her teammates know that. "Wounds heal, and we all go on living."

"Wounds also scar, Raven." Robin leaned against the counter and stared at her. His eyes were intense, and Raven was forced to look away before she broke down in front of him. "Do you want to talk ?"

"Robin, with all due respect, it happened over six months ago, my wounds have healed and there are no scars. Talking about it now would only make new ones." She forced an awkward smile at him, and he shook his head in response. Of course he didn't buy her speech. Robin knew Raven better that anyone else in the tower, well... except for an ancient text, locked away in a trunk. But he was just a memory. "Really, I'm fine."

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but red lights flashed and he snapped it shut, looking over at Cyborg. He was grumbling about having to pause the game, but still moved to check the tower's surveillance. His mouth twisted into a frown as he pressed a few buttons. "It looks like we have a visitor, but...there's no sign of entry. Forced or otherwise." He grunted out a sigh. "Might as well take a look at it. C'mon, let's head down to the basement."

Raven felt her stomach drop to the floor and she took a step forward. "The basement?" Her voice broke slightly and she felt Robin's stare burn a brand into her back. Damnit. Right after she told him that everything was fine, of course something like _this _had to happen. "Let's check it out."

"Right... we wouldn't want the _Christmas decorations_ to get damaged or stolen." Robin muttered under his breath so that only Raven could hear. She turned around and glared at him, but he just met her eyes with the same intensity in his. It was as if he was silently challenging her to say something she shouldn't have. The look only succeeded in making Raven want to punch him.

She rolled her eyes and turned away. "Let's go. We can't have strangers just wandering around the tower." Raven glanced back at Robin as she left the living room. "Or small children." She heard him mutter a curse at her, but nothing more. Let him brood, there was nothing he could do to fix her, and she was fine with that, but he didn't have to be so _rude _about it.

Cyborg opened the door to the basement stairs and flipped on the light. Raven wasn't sure if she was in a dream or a nightmare, but this _couldn't _be real. Her fingers gripped the handrail so tight her knuckles turned white with the pressure. He was there, rifling through the team's storage boxes as if it were just another, normal day in the neighborhood. His movements paused as he felt their presence, and then turned slightly to look.

"_Rorek_?" Was the only word that squeaked out of Raven's throat. Time seemed to pause a moment, and the tall, slender man stood and turned to fully face the team. She felt the ground beneath her shake with the sudden realization that _this _was no character in a book. He was _real, _and in her basement... but looking for what? Raven took a few, cautious steps down the stairs.

"_Sir_ Rorek." Came the soft reply. His eyes drifted over her with a mixture of caution and intrigue. A small smile peeled across his lips and Raven took a step back. She'd seen that same, frightening stare before, watching her from pages in a book. "You flatter me with your knowledge. I wasn't aware that my name was known in these parts, my fair lady. And you are...?"

The steel trunk in the corner gave a violent shudder, and the chains around it shattered. There was a rush of wind and a flash of white power, and then the book tumbled into view. The whole team gasped, but Raven took a few more steps forward against her better judgment. What was happening? The pages turned and fluttered until they landed on the half-destroyed picture of a man. "You keep your grimy hands off Raven, Rorek. This battle is between you and me. There is no need to drag any more innocents into this."

Raven jerked a little under the tone from Malchior and she stared at the book. She wasn't sure if he sounded possessive or angry, but the tone in his voice made her feel sick to her stomach. She didn't belong to anyone, least of all a faceless lizard.

"Ah... I knew I would find you eventually. But... poor, Malchior. You've been locked up in that trunk for so long. Are you all right? Have you destroyed another life? Changed another world?" Rorek shook his head, frowning at the book, still open on the floor. "You are never going to learn to calm that hunger you have, are you? You will keep on destroying everything until there is nothing left."

The book slid forward to stand open along the edge of its spine. "Destroy _what_ exactly, _Sir _Rorek? My _queen_?"

_"Your _queen? Is that the lie you've woven after all these years?" Rorek stared at the book and let go of a dramatic sigh. Raven looked from the book back to the knight and frowned. Exactly _what _was going _on_? And between them? "If I remember correctly, _you_ attacked her kingdom, Malchior. Don't _you_ remember what happened? The screaming, the cries of agony, the flames engulfing the whole town... all because of _you_."

"ARGH!" The book lurched again, and this time there was a shower of green sparks, and then the towering form of a paper dragon filled the dark space. Malchior's tattered wings brushed the steel beams of the ceiling, but Rorek didn't look concerned. The dragon stepped forward, hissing at the small knight. "I _didn't kill them_. You know what happened!"

"You look very convincing right now, Malchior." Rorek held out his hand, and with a few, short words, Malchior was folded back into the book. That was enough. Raven rushed down the last few steps and slid her body between Rorek and Malchior. She felt both their stares streak right through her, as if _nothing_, not even an innocent young woman, would get between them and whatever this conflict was about.

"What is going on here?"

"I've come to collect the book, Miss... Raven, was it?" Rorek smiled sweetly and took a few steps toward her. Raven automatically took the name number of steps back, trying to keep space between them. There was something about Rorek that set her teeth on edge and made her feel... itchy and uncomfortably. Rorek gave another dramatic sigh. "Unfortunately the ghastly thing must stay in my care until I learn the secret to destroying it. I do apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you, fair lady."

"Stop calling me that." Raven snapped her teeth and Rorek took a step back, unused to his charm not working on young women. Raven watched with mild satisfaction as a small, confused frown twisted his perfect mouth. "I cannot give up the book, Rorek. I have been damaged by it before, and I refuse to let it happen to anyone else. Please accept my apologies."

"I fear your powers are not enough to contain the beast... he will use you again, fair Raven." He cringed a little as Raven's eyes grew red. "I only wish you keep you safe. It would be such a tragedy to see your beautiful heart taken advantage of."

"Shut. Up."Raven turned to see Robin rushing down the stairs, her teammates in tow readying for a fight. "I don't know where the hell you came from or what the hell you are, but you're annoying us and upsetting my friend. Get out."

Rorek frowned and his eyes darted to all the faces staring at him.

Raven, felt a sudden surge of anger erupt in her chest. She scooped up the book and held it against her chest, glaring. "Whatever charms you typically use on unsuspecting women will not work on me. If you are so kind, I would appreciate it if you found the door and let yourself out. And never come back again." The book shuddered in her arms a little and she looked down at it. The pages were trembling, as if there was some unseen breeze in the basement.

"I see." Rorek took a few more steps away, eyes glued onto Starfire's glowing starbolts. He cleared his throat and turned to face Raven, grimacing. "Well, I can see when you've made up your mind, fair Raven... perhaps we will discuss this issue again in the near future." He bowed curtly. "Good evening."

"I don't want to see-" FLASH "-you ever again... damnit." Raven heaved out a growl and threw the book on top of an empty box. She felt her friends press close to her, staring over her shoulder as she yanked the book open to the tattered portrait. Malchior looked somewhere between furious and sheepish. "Explain. Now. Tell me _why _I shouldn't have handed you over. Tell me _why _I kept you from the one person I know I should have handed you over to."

"I..." His eyes looked at all the faces watching him and he gave a sigh, his pages fluttering in response. "It's a very long story... and I cannot explain myself unless I ask a favor of you."

"I will not release you, you useless lizard." Raven moved to slam the book shut, but Malchior cried out.

"Don't! I will only do this once, Raven... I _beg of you _please... release me and I will explain exactly what happened here and what happened between me and my comrade."

"Your... _comrade_?" Raven felt her mouth fall open and she snapped it shut. There was another surge of anger and distrust in her and she grabbed the book and shook it. Malchior's gaze did not waver, but it felt better to release some of the pressure in her, even if she looked a little ridiculous. "_What in all of the nine levels of hell is going on_!"

"I promise to tell you everything if you just release me..."

"Oh go... go fuck yourself!" Raven threw the book on the floor and started for the stairs, feeling the shocked eyes of her friends follow her. "I'm not falling for that again."

"Please!"

Raven whipped around and stared at the book. Her friends took a few steps away, giving her the space she needed. "No! Why should I believe you?"

"Because if you don't release me your town may be in danger!"

Raven fought the urge to kick to book at this point. There was that perfect forked tongue sticking out, whispering sweet words to her all over again. She felt for it once, but knew better this time. He had already played her for a fool, and she grew. "You are a terrible liar."

"I am _not lying_! Rorek was my friend and he destroyed my life! If we don't stop him, he will take whatever he wants from the world around us."

"I ask again, _why _should I believe you?"

"I am not a dragon! I was a man once, Malchior only son of my family." His voice sounded desperate and shaky, as if there was no other choice but to beg. Raven felt her heart twist and then remembered, that he was _just a lizard. _"First sorcerer to the queen of the kingdom of Lamir, and I was trapped inside the body of a dragon by Rorek, second sorcerer to the queen! Please, Raven! I need you. If there is anyone in this stupid world who I can trust it's you."

"That may be." Raven picked up the book and threw it back in the trunk, slamming the lid. "But I cannot trust you."

)O(

_This is dedicated to Delphina Valitrix who has a forked tongue of her own.  
I really had no intention of every writing for this pair, but Delphina is (unfortunately) very persuasive. So, that being the case, I hope I don't muck this up, let me know what you think and... we'll see where this goes. I do not expect it to be very long, five/six chapters at most not including this prologue, so... thanks for reading and let me know what you think._

_PS: I changed the title from "Betrayed" because I thought it sounded too cliche. And there was another story called "Betrayal" so... to save us all confusion... ta da! Literary Terms!_


	2. Chapter 1

**Unreliable Narrator  
**Chapter One

)O(

Raven threw on a thick, winter cloak and started for the door. She'd be damned if she stood around here any longer, listening to the whispers in the walls. The minute her skin was hit with the sharp coolness of the outside world, tears welled up in her eyes and she fell to the ground, sobbing. Her fingers dug into the snow as she tried desperately to stop the onslaught of emotions. How could this have happened? She had just begun to finally heal, and now... _this_. Fate must love playing cruel jokes.

"Raven."

Damnit. Raven futilely wiped at her eyes as she turned to face her leader. He was frowning, as if he found something displeasing but didn't know how to address it. They stared at each other for a few, long moments before Raven finally cracked. More tears started to flow down her face, but she was helpless to stop them. "Okay, so I lied! I wasn't all right. I'm still in love! I'm still heartbroken!" She barked out a shred of angry laughter. "And look where it got me! I've got a sorcerer trying to take that stupid book and I should have just _given _it to him! Why didn't I?"

Robin stepped forward and gathered the small woman into his arms. He ran his hand up and down her back, trying to calm the tremors in her muscles. "Raven... calm down. You're okay." He pulled her tighter against his body but Raven's sobs just got harder. She was clinging to him as if there was nothing in the world that was ever going to be right again.

"Why did this happen?"

"I can't answer that." Robin sighed deeply and pulled away to look into her water-filled eyes. She tried to hide her face, but Robin wouldn't let her. "You and I both know there is only one person who can."

Raven paled and she shoved at his arms, trying to put space between them. How could he do this to her? Throw broken pieces of her heart out for wolves to eat? He knew exactly what _talking _would lead to, and the consequences such a rash action would have, and yet he still had the gall to suggest it? She glared at him. "Are you telling me to set him free?"

"No. I'm saying if we want answers, if we want to figure out exactly _what _that whole display was back there, then it might be best to talk to him." He picked up her chin with his fingers. Raven hated it when he looked at her like that, some mixture between a best friend and a brother. It broke down all of her defenses and just _annoyed _her. "As a _team_. We will do this together."

"This battle might be a little too personal for everyone's involvement." Raven pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and she would have none of that. "So, I think we should end this conversation now."

"It's too personal for everyone to _not _get involved." He gave her his best "Robin-stare" and Raven was tempted to punch him in the stomach. Did he have to be so damn annoying all the time? She sighed and took another step away.

"Robin..." Raven let her harms fall to her sides and she watched her companion with half-lidded eyes. "I cannot trust him in any way, to listen to his story would open up those wounds."

"He seemed protective of you, Raven... there has to be a reason for it. There has to be a _reason _he's so concerned about Rorek."

"Other than Rorek imprisoned him? Other than Rorek was the good guy and Malchior ended up being hated for centuries?"

"Maybe that's not the truth."

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes. "Then _what _is?"

"I'm not sure..." Robin pursed his lips for a moment before looking back down at her. "Have you ever heard of an 'unreliable narrator' before?"

"Of course." Raven sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Are you telling me you think Malchior is an unreliable narrator?"

"No, we all know he is." Robin grabbed her wrist and started back to the warmth of the tower. "But, what if _all_ the histories are unreliable?"

"Then I don't know what to believe."

Robin cocked an eyebrow at her. "So..."

"I'm not talking to him." Raven pushed past him and walked back into the tower. "So, stop asking."

"So, what will happen if Rorek shows up again?"

"I'll give him the stupid book."

"And if we discover there's been an unreliable narrator?"

Raven turned and glared. "Are you _trying _to hurt me?"

"I'm concerned about his reaction to Rorek. That was no lie, no play acting. That was _true_, raw emotion, and nothing would have stopped him from protecting you." At that last statement Raven glared but Robin just shook his head. "I know it hurts. But if Malchior has a reason to be... the way he is, then maybe we should listen to him."

"But that's what he wants!" Raven threw up her hands and glared. "He _wants _us to be drawn to him, to _listen _to him. That's how he'll get whatever he wants. We'll hear his pitiful story and feel sorry for the creature, letting him out to wreak havoc all over again. I refuse to let that happen."

"You don't like thinking you might get hurt again." Raven gave a small, soft gasp and her eyes went wide. Robin didn't even look remorseful and stared at her head-on. He was trying to rub at her the wrong way now, trying to irritate her. He knew that if he annoyed her enough, she would give in to his unfortunately logical idea."I understand the pain is still fresh, Raven. Trust me, if there's anything I understand it's that, but locking your self away from it isn't going to fix anything. And it's not going to answer any of the questions we both have now."

"I _really _want to hit you right now." She started for the stairs. "_Really_."

Robin sighed. "Give it some thought, Raven."

Like hell she would. That was how she ended up in emotional no-man's-land in the first place. Raven stormed up to her room, barely giving the door to the basement a second glance. No. She would deal with things as they came, including Rorek. But, she would not seek trouble out herself, she'd already learned her lesson the first time. Raven threw herself onto her bed, burying her head into her pillows. How did this happen? _How_? She had tried for months to block him from her memory, to keep the wounds hidden, and now he was here, clawing at her scars.

"Damnit." Raven wiped at the tears starting to form in her eyes. "I hate him. I hate him. I hate him." But no mater how many times she told herself that, she just couldn't believe it. There were a lot of things she hated: Beast Boy's cooking, Robin's obsessive-compulsive behavior, Starfire's music, but Malchior... she couldn't bring herself to believe that she truly _hated _him. She was hurt, angered, displeased, and frustrated, but she just couldn't _hate _him.

Raven threw a pillow across the wall, screaming out a curse. There was a moment of perfect stillness and then she tore off the covers and stormed down the hall, yelling for her friends to meet her in the living room. The basement still held on to shreds of anger and ancient broken promises. She brushed the feelings off and threw open the steel trunk. Dust scattered as she stared into the depths of the chest.

"You are going to tell me the truth, Malchior. The whole _truth_. And if you don't I will have Aqualad bury you in the deepest, darkest part of the ocean where light and human contact will never see you again... _ever._" Her fingers wrapped around his pages, nails biting into the time-worn cover. "Don't you think I won't."

"I wouldn't dream of it... I'm honored you gave me another chance-"

"Shut. Up. I'm not giving you anything until _we _deem you worthy. Me and my _friends_." Malchior fell silent, and she could feel his worry. That was fine with her, let him sweat it out for a little bit. She lugged the heavy tome back into the living room, where her friends sat, staring at her. The silence was thick in the room, but Raven couldn't let it bother her. There was business to attend to. "Everyone meet Malchior the Forked Tongue." And she threw the book onto the table with a deafening thud. "Let's all pretend we like each other for a brief moment and maybe something good will _actually _happen."

"You're being mean."

Raven glared at the book. "You're a pain in the ass. What in your right mind thinks I should be nice, _to you?_" She threw open the book to the tattered portrait staring at the eyes that had haunted her dreams for so long. She tried not to feel the ice-cold hurt spill into her heart as she stared at him, the painful memories still skirted around the edge of her mind. "Now, Malchior, what do we need to know?"

"I..." He started to speak, but cut his words short as everyone turned to stare at him. "I'm sorry, but this is rather awkward, having everyone stare at me as if I am some kind of malady, Dear Raven." His eyes looked a little upset and uncomfortable, but Raven wouldn't buy it. Not again. "I would have much rather preferred for this to be a private conversation, you know... one between old friends."

"I will rip out your pages one by one." Robin stepped forward, and moved to stand next to Raven. Malchior's eyes flashed to the young man and then back at Raven. Robin didn't remove his scowl and took a step forward. "I asked her to give you a second chance, Malchior. She didn't have to talk to you, and did it out of the goodness of her heart and the need to protect the city. You are here because of _her_, remember that when you decide to speak."

Malchior's eyes narrowed at the undercurrent of possession in his speech, and Raven felt color flood her face. Exactly _what _was Robin getting at? He was embarrassing her in front of all her friends _and_ Malchior. It was like a bad dream. She took a deep breath and stared at the pages of the book. "Enough! Both of you. I need the truth, that is the only thing we should be worrying about right now."

"Raven's right." Starfire's cool, calm voice shot through the tension making everyone turn to stare at her. "We need to know to know who this Sir Rorek is and why he is so intent on possessing the book."

Malchior blinked at the people surrounding him and sighed. "He wishes to destroy me."

"And _why _didn't I give you over to him?"

"Because I don't deserve it!" Malchior's pages fluttered and Raven pressed a hand to her forehead. She really _should _have given him up, it would have saved her the headache.

"Says who?" Beast Boy jumped forward and growled, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. "You tore Raven's life apart for months! And for what? So you could be released as a stupid dragon and eat everyone within the city limits!"

"I'm not that... that _creature!_" The book shuttered and nearly fell off the table, but Raven caught it. Her fingers suddenly remembered all the tears and creases, and she felt her heart grow heavy with the thought. The room stayed silent for a few long moments before Malchior spoke again. "I was once Malchior, the first sorcerer to the queen of the kingdom of Lamir... it was my sole responsibility to protect and serve the kingdom, and I have _never _in all my time as a sorcerer ever shirked my duties."

Raven, out of some long forgotten habit, ran a finger down the destroyed portrait. She felt Robin's eyes on her, but brushed it off. What Malchior was saying was the truth. Maybe Robin was right, maybe in this long line of history there were a few unreliable narrators. "Then what _happened_?"

"It is a somewhat complicated story..." Malchior took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pages trembling.

"Well..." Raven leaned back into the sofa, staring at the book. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "I've got plenty of time... in fact I had plenty of time several months ago when you had your _first _opportunity to tell me the truth."

"I didn't want to _lie _to you Raven... I just felt that you wouldn't understand... I never intended you to see me as the dragon. Trust me, I didn't. It just... _happened._" Malchior looked a little sheepish. "It's a fantastic story that no one believes, and there isn't a history book in the universe that can tell the truth, how it actually happened."

"Well, _Malchior_, why don't you try me and we'll go from there." She frowned. "Because right now I don't believe a word you're saying to me, and I'm not sure if I even want to bother with listening to you."

"You won't believe me, Raven... I know that, and you probably do too. But... I will tell you what you want to hear and maybe we'll be able to repair this _rift _between us." Malchior looked at her, a small expression of hope in his eyes, but Raven wouldn't fall for that. _Not _again.

"I'll be the judge of that, Malchior, and so will my friends. So, why don't you get on with your pathetic excuse and we'll try to understand you as much as we can, hm?" Raven raised an eyebrow and Malchior sighed in response.

"I can see when I've been defeated. Alright, I will tell you what you want to know." Malchior paused, as if he were gathering he thoughts, and then started into his tale. "As I said, I was the first sorcerer to the queen of Lamir. It just so happened that I was not born from any kind of magical blood. I simply had a natural talent for sorcery... Rorek, however, was born into a gifted magical family and yet he had to try much harder than I did. When we were ten, we were sent off to school together, and we quickly became friends. In fact, were were _best_ friends all through school.

"But, Rorek was always competitive and knowing that I was better than him, yet came from a lesser family, always seemed to bother him. Whatever the challenge was, whatever the quest was, whatever the test was... he always won, _nothing _not even a poor merchant's son, would stop him. And so when we were presented to the queen he was less than pleased when I was chosen for to be her first sorcerer and he was made to be second."

Malchior closed his eyes and let out another slow, shaking breath. Raven wanted to offer him some kind of support, but that was a dangerous gesture, and so she kept her face completely blank. "Even though I took the spot he wanted, we still remained friends, but there was a sudden distance between us... and neither of us knew how to deal with this new problem. For a while, things seemed to settle at a common ground for sometime, where we were no longer friends or enemies, but simply comrades. And then... I found him with the queen. He had been her lover for some time and I knew it had nothing to do with passion or feelings of love, but simply because he wanted her to grant him my title." Malchior's eyes opened, and he faced Raven.

"I was angry, furious with him that he would stoop to such a level. He was angry that I got something he wanted, and in his anger started a plot to remove me from my position. It began with assassins from a neighboring kingdom. Our queen had no children and her closest relatives were from the kingdom of Kale across the Eastern sea. Assassins were, unfortunately, a very real threat. And one night I was told by Rorek that they had invaded the capitol and were going to kill the queen... I did the only thing I knew I could do."

There was a swift intake of breath as Raven finally realized what happened. "You became... a dragon?"

"I may be skilled at magic, but my fighting skills are... somewhat left to be desired, and so to protect the queen, I became the most powerful creature I knew. I performed a transfiguration spell but there is always a problem... in transfiguration there is no way to control your emotions. You essentially become the animal you have transfigured into until you can manage to regain your self..." Malchior closed his eyes again, reliving the memory, and Raven pressed a hand to her lips.

"You... you destroyed the capitol?"

"Yes! _I _did it!" Malchior's eyes swept open and stared at her, dark fire raging inside his expression. "When I managed to regain control of myself the city was in flames, whole families were destroyed, and the queen saw it all. Every little act of unadulterated cruelty. I was banished, hated, and cursed for the rest of my pitiful life. Until Rorek proved himself the hero and locked me into this stupid book. And here I sat for a thousand years, drowning in my anger and hatred for that selfish boy."

"Malchior..." Raven's voice was soft, feeling as if the world around her had melted away and just her and Malchior were left. "Why did you keep this from me for so long? Why didn't you tell me the truth before?"

"Because I'm still angry!" The book shuttered again as his eyes turned to her. Raven felt herself pale as she stared at him. "Because I still hate him for what he did to me! You would have never released me if I told you the truth, if you knew that I wanted destroy a person like the good and noble Rorek. And yet look! He's still out there, trying to bring_ me_ down completely. He got what he wanted, why he's still after me is beyond my understanding."

"To destroy all evidence." Raven turned and looked and Robin, whose expression was rather thoughtful. Raven bit back a curse, was Robin insinuating that he actually _believed _Malchior? Great, that was just what she needed. He glanced from the book to Raven, frowning. "Your release a few months ago must have alerted him in some way, and if he knew that you were still out there, still holding on to that last one shred of truth, it would be stupid to think that he wouldn't destroy you."

"He couldn't let it go, even after a _thousand _years?" Cyborg, who had been unusually quiet through the whole story, snorted and leaned back into the sofa. "That is one grudge he wants to hold on to."

"Yeah, well Malchior hasn't exactly let it go either." Robin crossed his arms over his chest. He turned and looked at Raven again. She hated it when he looked at her that way, as if he knew there was something boiling inside her and he wanted to stop it. She glanced back at Malchior before looking at Robin. "So, what do we do now? It's your call, Raven. We can lock Malchior back in the trunk for another thousand years, or we can try to help him."

"You do realize that if we help him, we have to release him." Raven frowned at her leader, who gave a short nod in response.

"Ah... if you don't mind, I would like to remind you that I am still here. In this room. With you." Raven looked down at the portrait, still frowning.

"That _is _right. Thank you for reminding me." She slammed the book shut and threw it out the living room door, hearing it clunk to the floor. Malchior let out a short, angry curse, but stayed otherwise silent. She gave a satisfied smile and returned to her spot on the sofa. Her friends' expressions varied from understanding to upset, and she didn't blame any of them in the least. How could she? At this point it was like asking Pandora if she wanted to open the box again. "So... now what?"

"Rorek will come back." Robin cocked an eyebrow at her. "That is perfectly clear. He wasn't going to give the book to us in the first place, and I doubt a whole team of Titans will deter him anyway."

"I know." Raven frowned. She ran a hand over her face, sighing. "But what does it _matter_?"

"He is still a life." Starfire placed a hand on Raven's shoulder, her expression unreadable. "Although he has done terrible things and destroyed lives, we are sworn to protect him from something worse. To deny him the same right as every other person would be... unjust."

Starfire had a point. But still, risking the safety of the team just to save one life seemed kind of pointless, but that was their job. To do the pointless, fruitless, thankless, _dangerous_ tasks that no one else had the ability or desire to do. Raven sighed and let her head fall onto the back of the sofa and she stared at the ceiling. Her heart felt heavy, and that was something she didn't like. It meant that her feelings were still fresh and still strong, and she wouldn't be able to be objective about the whole situation. "What a mess."

"If I may make a comment..." Malchior's voice was muffled by the door.

Raven didn't even bother looking in his direction. She sighed. "You can try your hardest to make me listen. I can't make any promises in return, but go ahead."

"Raven... we know that although the outcome of magic is the same, the execution changes."

Raven let the words sink into her and she waited a heartbeat. Two. And then... she paled and sat up, suddenly hearing a sentence of Malchior's that had gotten lost in the anger and excitement with Rorek earlier. "_If you don't release me your town may be in danger_..." Raven turned to stare at the door, feeling her friends' shocked stares. "What _exactly_ did you mean by that, Malchior?"

"Magic isn't just something that _happens, _Raven, you and I both know that. It's like... a chemical reaction. Everything has stored energy and the process to release it varies from object to object, even though the end result may be the similar. The same is to be said for magicians. You, Raven, draw upon your emotional energy to perform spells and enchantments. I draw upon my life source and the hidden energies in powders and potions." Malchior paused and Raven could feel a strange, humming pulsating in the back of her head, as if she were going to black-out. Her fingers gripped onto a sofa cushion as her friends turned to look at her.

"What are you trying to get at, Malchior..." Her voice was ghostly soft, eyes wide. "Exactly _what _does Rorek draw his power from?"

"Natural energy... he is adept at siphoning it. Trees, plants, living animals... whatever he can grasp at, he will steal their energy. And, the stronger the spell, the more energy he needs." Malchior's voice was unusually soft and serious, and the tone made Raven's stomach turn over. The pieces were starting to fall into place, the puzzle becoming a whole image. "Small spells were easy, but the natural world took equal damage in response. So, imagine the carnage he would cause if he cast a serious spell... for example, a spell to destroy an enchanted tome that has existed for a millennium. Or, if that is too hard to see, imagine the carnage he caused when he put me here in the first place."

"You..." Raven ran a hand through her hair, trying to avoid the stares of her friends. Every single gear was turning in the right direction and Raven didn't know who to trust. If she believed Malchior, and he turned out to be lying, she had released a volatile dragon into the world. If she refused to help him, and Malchior was right, the devastation Rorek could cause was unfathomable. It was a precarious situation, and Raven had no idea what she could believe or who she could trust. "Are you completely serious?"

"There is a rather dry and boring book, somewhere in this world, that chronicles a year of life in the Forest of Lamir, where I was brought down by Rorek and imprisoned. Chapter ten will explain exactly _what _happened to the forest, and what it looked like just a few days after my capture." She could hear a mixture of remorse and anger in his voice, and Raven wanted it to be true. She wanted there to be honesty in _all_ his words, but knew that her heart would probably be broken again. "I give you my word as a fellow sorcerer, that the book is true."

Raven sighed and let her arms fall to her sides. "Fine. I will read your book if you just shut up."

"So... what's the verdict?" Cyborg cool, calm tone made her turn back to her friends. His arms were crossed over his chest and the seriousness in his expression made Raven frown. "Do we let him out? And hope he's telling the truth? Or, do we keep him trapped and hope he's telling a lie?"

Raven weighed the options carefully. The cons heavily out-weighed the pros and that would normally have been the deciding factor... but still. There was a strong, violent nagging at the back of her head, and that scared her more than releasing the pain. She let go of another sigh she'd been holding on to and looked at her friends. "I know how to subdue him if he gets out of hand. I don't want to risk us being wrong and placing the city in danger." Raven took a deep breath and looked Robin square in the eyes, hoping he couldn't see her fear. "Malchior will by my sole responsibility. He will not leave my side day or night until we know for sure what his intentions are, and whether or not Rorek is coming back."

Robin gave a short nod. "Then, I suppose, we should start the preparations for releasing Malchior."

Raven felt her stomach turn to lead, and she began wondering if she had made the right decision.

)O(

_So... this chapter did not turn out as long as I wanted it, but if I didn't stop here it would have turned out a lot longer than I wanted it. So... I settled for a little shorter with the next chapter being a good and correct length. Anyway, please let me know what you think! I love to hear your thoughts._

_Also, if anyone cares, I now have a poll for my story **Wide Awake** as I am unable to choose a final coupling. So, please visit my profile and vote! But leave a review first, let me know what I could have fixed and what you did or didn't like. I'm a big girl, I can take criticism._


	3. Chapter 2

**Unreliable Narrator  
**Chapter Two

)O(

That night Raven lay on her bed, staring at her ceiling. She could hear the snow tick against the smooth glass of her window, like the arm of a second-hand on a clock face. It had to be nearing three in the morning, but her eyes had not shut the entire night. If she believed her own lies, she would have said it was from the worry of Rorek coming and stealing the book. But, if she listened to the truth inside her, she would have seen that it came from knowing the severity of what she was going to do.

She was going to release Malchior, and that thought alone made her seriously question her sanity. Nearly every part of her seemed to scream that this was wrong, that she needed to turn away from her decision, and to lock him back in the trunk and throw him into the ocean. But still… there was a part of her that seemed to shudder at the thought of what would happen if she made wrong choice. What _really_ would happen if Rorek was allowed to roam free? Was it complete and total destruction as Malchior had predicted?

Sighing, Raven stood up and went to her bookshelf. There, still wrapped in brown paper and twine, was the book Malchior had told her about. The dry history of the kingdom of Lamir. Raven unwrapped the book and stared at the weathered, leather cover. It stared back at her like a tombstone. Fighting her frustration, she paged through the yellowed pages until her fingers landed on the chapter she was looking for. For the most part, Malchior was right; the book was dry as a bone, filled with unimaginative descriptions of a foreign world and Raven thought she might fall asleep after the first two pages. But she struggled through the boring descriptions of slugs and ferns and came across the passage she had been hunting.

_The castle in the forest once belonged to King Aspar, one thousand years ago. It has fallen into disrepair from exposure to the elements as well as a plethora of different species of lichens. The interesting thing about lichens is…_ Raven flipped through a few more pages, there was nothing interesting about lichens, no matter who talked about them… _The area around the castle is odd, to say the least. It is a perfect circle that stretched fifty paces in every direction, and is completely devoid of life. It is difficult to explain in words, the plants are pure white and disintegrate under my touch, as if it were made of dry ash. It has some left over film of magic in it, but it is fading. Whatever happened here was grave indeed. _

Raven sighed and closed the book, a puff of dust coming from between the pages. Malchior was right, which was possibly the worst news she could hove at this point. If he had been wrong then there would be no doubt in her mind to chain the book up and throw it into the ocean, leaving him there with his lies. But if he was right… Raven ran a hand through her hair. This was terrible. Rorek was after the book with powers she didn't understand or know how to combat.

She stood up and started to walk to the living room. The tower was unusually quiet, and even Beast Boy's snoring was barely heard. She wandered through the halls, letting her mind think about all the possibilities facing her. About how she would handle Rorek, and whether or not she could trust Malchior. The living room was impossibly dark, and the moon barely peeked out from tattered clouds. In what dregs of light that filtered through, she could see Malchior's book sat open on the coffee table, pages fluttering even though there was no breeze. The pages paused for a moment, and the cover twitched. "Raven… to what do I owe the honor of your presence?"

"I couldn't sleep." Raven plopped down on the sofa, and stared at the book. The tattered portrait seemed mildly intrigued, so she continued. "I read the book you told me to."

"And?"

Raven sighed and let herself sink deeper into the sofa. "You were right." She turned and looked at the moon before returning her stare to him. "Exactly _what _happened?"

"It is an after-effect of Rorek's powers." Malchior gave a soft sigh, as if trying to collect his thoughts, before he continued. "Have you ever done a chemistry equation?"

Raven popped an eyebrow up. "_You've _done chemistry?"

"Raven, my dear, I have nothing else to do but sit in this book and read. Besides, I thought the knowledge might help with making potions and powders."

"And did it?"

"A little, but that's not the point I'm getting at." Malchior gave her a stern look, but Raven barely noticed. She didn't consider him too much of a threat anymore. Not since she was so skeptical of him and he was trapped deep within the book. Malchior cleared his throat and continued. "The point is that in a chemistry equation everything must always balance. To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

"So…" Raven chewed on her lower lip, moving forward to look at the book. "Rorek's powers can be immense, but if he chooses that route, the effects will be immense as well. No matter what he does, there will always be a reaction."

"Correct." Malchior sighed and looked away. "Trapping me inside this book destroyed nearly everything around the castle, imagine what would happen if he actually destroyed me."

"It's hard to." Raven absently ran her fingers down a fold in the book, and Malchior's eyes turned to look at her. Something flashed inside them, but she barely gave it notice. He was, after all, just a book. "I am wondering though, exactly why is he coming after you now? Why not five hundred years ago? Why didn't he destroy you when he had the chance? How did he lose the book in the first place?"

"The spell on me is too strong to simply _destroy_,it must be taken apart piece by piece until you can deconstruct the barriers surrounding me. It is a long and tedious process." Malchior snorted inelegantly. "Rorek never liked to read all the way through a spell. He always told me that he got bored half way through it and just skimmed the rest. That in unacceptable in our line of work, and can cost you dearly. Furthermore, he did not _lose_ me, I was stolen while he was trying to find the spell to deconstruct my barriers."

"Stolen?"

"Some petty thief who thought sorcerers have very interesting things." Malchior sighed and looked back at Raven. "From there I was sold, traded, lost, found, forgotten, and a plethora of other things that I do not care to mention, before I finally ended up in your hands. The rest is… history."

"Painful history." Raven crossed her hands over her chest and glared at the book. Malchior sighed and looked up at her, an expression of genuine guilt in his eyes. Well, at least that was a start.

"I did not _want _to take advantage of you, Raven, please believe me. But if I told you the truth, that I wanted to be released to seek revenge on a fellow sorcerer… what would you have said?"

Raven _really_ hated it when he was right. And she hated it more when _he_ knew he was right. She sighed and turned away from him. "I would have never released you, and you know that." She looked back at the book and glared. "But the point is that you _lied _to me, and you made me lose control of myself, and I nearly hurt all of my friends in the process, not to mention a few innocent bystanders. I don't even know how to begin to explain that was wrong on so many levels. You took _advantage _of me."

Malchior visibly winced. "And for that I will suffer forever."

Raven shook her head, her ears ringing in pain. Did he have to play this game with her now? "I don't want any more of your pretty words, Malchior, I want the truth. And you didn't see fit to give it to me before, so why should I believe that you will give it to me now?"

"Because I care for you."

Raven felt the world lurch under her feet. Of all the low-life things he could have said, it _had _to be that one. Anger bubbled up into her chest like poisonous acid, and she had to fight against all the terrible things she wanted to say to him. If she burnt that bridge, there was no way to rebuild it. Raven glared and slammed the book shut, glaring at the cover. "I'm going to bed. You leave me alone until we're ready to release you."

Malchior stayed unusually quiet.

)O(

Raven stared at the complicated spell in front of her and then at the ingredients scattered around the floor. There were at least a good fifty ingredients to the potion, and another twenty different and separate parts to the spell, not to mention all the incantations. She sighed and plopped down on the floor in the middle of the chalk circle. Her friends had done their best to get her everything she needed, even some ancient and mysterious herbs, and although secretly Raven hoped that they would be missing a few pieces, everything she needed was there. Staring at her.

"The spell is the same one as it was before, Raven."

She whipped around and stared at the book, standing on a pedestal. "I _know_. Trust me, I've already lived through this once, I don't need you reminding me what happened then." Raven returned to the colored substances in front of her, carefully mixing them and whispering words. Malchior kept silent through the whole process, which surprised Raven.

She hadn't talked to him in several days, and he had barely said two words to her. Logically, she knew she should have been thankful that he _actually _listened to her request, but there was some part of her that missed it. They once had deep and interesting conversations, exchanged sweet words, but they were all lies. She _knew _that, so why did the silence… hurt? There was a buff of blue smoke and Raven jumped backward, nearly knocking over the goblet in the process. A few drops of a thick, milky substance spilled on the carpet, singeing the fibers next to Raven's bare feet.

Malchior snapped at her, pages fluttering against each other. "Careful! That is poisonous, Raven!"

"I know! I don't need help from you!"

"Clearly you do! Otherwise you wouldn't have nearly disintegrated your left foot!"

"Shut up!" Raven stood up and stomped out of her chalk circle to the book. She snatched it off the pedestal and nearly threw it into the pile of herbs. Malchior hissed a few words at her in a language she didn't understand, which might have been for the best. Raven doubted they were anything _polite_. "I'm helping you out, aren't I? Can't you just leave me alone to do what I need to?"

"I did! You asked me to 'shut up' and I did, but clearly it did nothing but arouse your anger!" The book flew open to the portrait, and its eyes glared at her. Raven glared right back, but Malchior was unfazed. "You need to _calm down_! Think objectively about your spell, you getting upset is going to upset the spell, and upset the outcome, and you _know _that."

"Pft." Raven slammed the book shut and Malchior grunted under the force of her anger. "You just want out, what do you care about…" Raven couldn't finish that sentence, and she looked away. Tension seemed to fill the room, drowning every emotion in awkward silence. She cringed a little; well, _that_ was a stupid thing to say. Malchior kept still and didn't say a word, or give any indication that he knew what she was going to say. But he knew. Raven ran a hand through her hair, nearly ripping out strands in the process. "Just let me do the spell and we'll be done with all of this, okay?"

Malchior sighed and his pages trembled in response. "Fine. Just be careful, I don't want you getting hurt."

Raven shook her head. Since when did he care about her getting hurt? It didn't matter to him several months ago when he had the opportunity to tell her the truth. When he had the opportunity to tell her everything she really should have known. Let him think whatever he wanted to think, it was not going to change her opinion of him and their… _relationship._ Or lack thereof.

She returned to the enchantment, whispering words under her breath and crushing herbs between her fingertips. The scent of nightshade mixed with the scent of aged parchment, and memories flooded her mind again. Raven tried to focus on the spell she was performing, but it was hard when images of their previous time kept flashing in front of her. Each thought grew more and more painful as the truth leaked from between the cracks. Every memory was filled with lies.

That was enough of that. Raven huffed out a breath of air, gaining lucidity for a moment. She needed to focus, or she was going to hurt herself this time for sure. What happened in the past should stay in the past, and be no concern of hers. They were simply partners in this quest to bring down Rorek, nothing more, and she needed to remember that. Raven whispered more words and mixed the potion carefully, attempting to detach herself from the task at hand.

Time passed, but she wasn't aware of it. Motions seemed to melt together, until it felt her spell had gone on for days without stopping. She knew that outside the tower the moon had risen fully, and outside in the hallway her team waited for her to finish. Robin's pacing footsteps could be heard, and all of their anticipations leaked in, jarring her from her thoughts.

Finally, a blue smoking liquid sat in the goblet. She turned at looked at Malchior, feeling her heart drop. This was it. Once she poured this on him, he would be released and there would be no undoing what was done _again. _Raven swallowed her fears and opened the book to the portrait. He closed his eyes and waited expectantly. Raven whispered the last incantation to the spell and poured out the liquid, but it didn't soak the pages. It instead coated the book in a thick, green fog, hissing and crackling like cold fire.

There was a moment where everything seemed to just hang in the air, and then pressure burst from the book. A bang resounded through her tiny room, and the spell violently pushed Raven out of her chalk circle and threw her against the wall. She cursed as her head hit the drywall, knocking against a stud. Her friends' concerned cries could be heard from outside the hallway; Robin shouting her name, Starfire trying to pull apart the door, and Cyborg trying to crack the code. Undoubtedly Beast Boy had transformed into a fly again to get into her room. Raven cursed again and bent her head forward to hold it.

"Raven." She felt a hand reach out and touch the back of her head, brushing her hair to the side. Gentle fingers threaded through the strands, looking for a wound. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Raven shoved at the arm, and the hand was pulled away. "Those are two similar questions worded differently. I'm fine." She opened her eyes and stared into a pair of intensely green ones. Raven tried to back up a little further, but her head connected with the wall again and she winced in pain. The eyes seemed concerned and pressed a little closer to her, but she shoved at his arm again. "I'm _fine_."

Malchior took a step back and stood up. Raven just sat on the floor at stared at him. She knew that the portrait in the book had always been Rorek, and that she had never seen an actual picture of Malchior the dragon, let alone Malchior the man. But, she had always assumed that there would be _some _similarities. There were none. Malchior was the complete opposite of the slender, aristocratic, and somewhat delicate-looking Rorek. He was tall, broad-shouldered and chiseled, with dark ebony hair. His skin was tan, and his body was muscular and scarred, as if he had spent some time doing hard, physical labor. On the inside of his right forearm sat an intricate tattoo of a dragon, and if Raven wasn't mistaken, it moved.

"I didn't imagine that the spell would be so intense. It was a bit more _violent_ than it had been before, and I am very sorry. I didn't mean to harm you." Raven stared up at him, trying not to look shocked. His voice was the same soft, old world tones, and it didn't seem to fit his rugged countenance. She dusted herself off and crawled to her feet, never taking her eyes off him. Human or not, he was still _Malchior _and she had to remember to keep him at a distance. Malchior sighed and shook his head. In response, the dragon tattoo bowed its head, as if it was disappointed. "You still do not trust me."

"Last time we were in this position you tried to kill me." Raven glared as she felt around the back of her head. It was sore to the touch, and a bulge was starting to form under the skin. "So, sorry if I'm not all friendly and happy to see you. You haven't given me reason to be." She glanced down the rest of his body and felt blood rush to her face before looking away. Raven threw a blanket from the end of her bed at him. "For goddess' sake! Put some clothes on!"

Malchior didn't seem concerned with his lack of clothing and shrugged. "I am sorry if I offended you."

Raven rolled her eyes and started for her door. "I'm going to go get ice for my head."

Malchior's eyes narrowed and the dragon on his arm snorted out a puff of smoke. "I thought you said you were fine."

Raven glared back at him, anger rising into her throat. "Well, I _lied_. Now you know how it feels." She threw open the door to see her friends staring at her, and then glancing behind her to see the naked man standing in her room. The tension was awkward and uncomfortable, and Raven swore she could have cut through it with a knife if she tried hard enough. She cleared her throat and motioned towards Malchior. "Everyone, this is Malchior. Try to keep him occupied while I go get ice for my head." And she pushed past them into the hallway, trying not to curse up a storm.

"Raven!" She turned and saw Robin chasing after her down the hall. Sighing, she stopped and turned toward him. "Raven… is everything…" Robin knew better than to ask her if everything was "okay." But, Raven could see the concern in his eyes as he searched for another word. "Acceptable?"

Raven snorted and returned to her angry stomp down the hallway. "No, it's not." The living room was flooded with light as she entered, and she had to blink against the pain in her eyes. It had been so dark in that room, her eyes had almost forgotten how to adjust to light. She grabbed ice out of the freezer and wrapped it in a towel. Her head was sore, and exhaustion was starting to take hold of her limbs, but she still had to do something with Malchior before she could sleep. And she had no idea what that was.

"What happened?" Robin tried to look at her head, but she pushed him off of her. He rolled his eyes and took a step back, giving her space.

"I hit my head on the wall, the spell released a little more pressure than last time and I got caught in the crossfire." Raven hissed as she readjusted the ice. The wound was going to swell, and if she wasn't mistaken, it was already starting to trickle blood. Well, things couldn't get much worse at this point. She sighed and looked up at Robin, who was still frowning at her. "I'll have to have Cy take a look at my head later."

"Raven…" Robin sighed and shook his head. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Raven, if this is too much for you we can always put him back. We can fight Rorek on our own, I'm sure we've faced tougher enemies. It doesn't have to be like this."

Raven wanted to believe him. She wanted to think that this was something they could handle all by themselves, but she knew better. Rorek was a force no one understood, even Raven didn't understand, and Malchior was the only one who could guide them through this. It pained her to admit it, and it scared her to think about it, but there were no other options. Malchior had to stay released from the book until they could defeat Rorek, and then they would have to decide what to do with him.

"We can't handle this by ourselves, Robin. As much as we like to think we can take anything, this is something we don't understand." Raven tugged on his fingers and offered him a broken smile. "We'll just have to make it work for now."

"Make it work is not good enough, Raven. He seriously hurt you in the past, and we are inviting him into our home. We are showing him all of our weaknesses." Robin shook his head. "I'm not sure that this is a good idea anymore."

Raven snorted. "Weren't you the one who was so adamant on hearing him out before? Why the change in heart now?"

Robin's sad eyes looked at her, and he let go of her fingers. "Because I hate seeing you like this."

"Raven?" The old world accent floated to her across the room and she looked past Robin's shoulder to see Malchior, fully dressed thank goodness, standing next to the sofa and holding onto his book. Her friends stood behind him, looking like they weren't quite sure what to do with him. Robin turned and frowned at Malchior, who just glared back. The tattoo on his arm flapped its wings, moving restlessly across his skin.

"Malchior…" Raven sighed and removed the ice from her head. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you." He stepped forward, but her friends stayed behind him. Beast Boy's expression was one of relief, now that Malchior was pawned off on someone else. He snuck out of the living room before Malchior had a chance to end up back in his care. "I wanted to be sure your wound was not too serious. You hit your head quite badly."

"She's fine." Robin snapped his teeth and moved to block Raven from view. This was ridiculous. Raven rolled her eyes and pushed him to the side. She would be damned if they started beating their chest like gorillas now. She had more pressing issues to deal with.

"I'm fine. I just hit my head, and I'll survive." Raven put the ice back on her head, but Malchior continued to move closer. Robin snarled at him, but that didn't faze Malchior at all. He just pushed past Robin and stepped up to Raven, pinning her between him and the counter top. She stared up at Malchior, still frowning. Electricity sizzled between them, but she refused to notice. "Step back, if you don't mind. You're crowding me."

"Let me see your wound, Raven." His face was completely unreadable, and that scared her more than any other expression he could have worn.

She removed the ice and drew herself to her full height, which was unfortunately a full head shorter than him. Well, there went the plan of _trying_ to look imposing. Raven snorted and looked away from him. "If I let you look at it, will you leave me alone?" He thought about it for a moment before nodding. She sighed and turned around, facing her back to him. "Fine. Here, look at it all you want."

Robin growled, but was smart enough to take a step away. Malchior moved her hair to the side and searched through the plum strands until his fingers brushed against the injury. Raven hissed a curse between her teeth as he pressed into it, but the pain was replaced by a cooling sensation. Magic seeped into her, and the throbbing ebbed away slowly. She felt the wound diminish until Malchior's fingers were brushing against her healed skin. "Better?"

Raven turned and looked at him, frowning. "Well enough."

He sighed and took a step back. "You're welcome."

Raven felt a twinge of guilt shoot through her. He didn't have to help her or be nice to her. Hell, he could have played her as the fool, like he did last time and run off to attack the city. But he stayed by her side, concerned about a miniscule injury. What was he getting at, exactly? What did he want from her now? Everything with him was like a puzzle, and sometimes she _really _hated puzzles. Raven looked up at him and sighed. "Thank you. There, are you quite happy?"

"Well enough." Malchior took a few more steps back, glancing at Robin as he did so.

Robin just rolled his eyes and moved closer to Raven. She pushed him away from her, cursing under her breath. The last thing she needed was a big-brother figure crowding her. Malchior was enough, didn't he understand that? Cyborg cleared his throat, reminding the others that he and Starfire were still there. Malchior turned around, and everyone just stopped and stared at each other, waiting for words to be spoken. Raven started first, staring at the ancient sorcerer in front of her.

"Well, what are we going to do with you?"

"That is not my decision… I am here to help you defeat Rorek, what you do with me until then is out of my control." Raven tried not to snort again. She _highly _doubted anything was out of Malchior's control. He shifted his weight and glanced from Raven to Robin and back again, still frowning. "I am, however, a bit tired from my release, and I imagine Raven is even more so. The spell she cast was by no means a simple one. Her energy must be completely drained."

Raven felt blood rush to her face as several pairs of eyes turned to face her. Damnit. Did he _have_ to throw her into the spotlight like that? She looked away, pretending to be more interested in the moon outside then in their conversation. Robin nudged her gently and shook his head. His concerned stared connected with her frustrated one and she sighed. "Yes, I am tired. But, I don't need the whole team babying me like I'm some kind of invalid. I can take care of myself just fine."

She started for the door, but Malchior's fingers wrapped around her upper arm. His eyes locked with hers and a frown passed over his lips. "Take care of yourself, Raven. I am concerned for you."

That sounded like a "good bye." Raven blinked up at him before barking out a shred of humorless laughter. "I don't know where the hell you think you're going, Malchior, but I don't trust you as far as I can throw you." She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked one hip to the side. "Sorry, I'm not letting you out of my sight for one moment. So… you're coming with me." Raven reached forward and grabbed the book out of his hands. He hadn't let go of it since he'd been released. If her suspicions were correct, Malchior would still be bound to the book until they could dismember the spell, or they destroyed Rorek.

Sure enough, Malchior followed her out of the living room, as if pulled by an invisible force. Good, at least there was one way to control him. He growled at her complete disregard for his masculinity, but what did Raven care? He wanted to play games with her, she was more than happy to play games with him as well.

"I do not appreciate what you did."

"Yeah?" Raven turned so she faced him. His eyes nearly glowed in the faint light in the hallway, making him look rather frightening. She took two steps back, out of curiosity, and he was forced to take two steps forward. Sure enough, he was bound to the book by an invisible force, like a magical ball and chain. "Well, I don't appreciate you upending my life for however long I'm cursed to be with you. So, until we can come to terms with each other, I guess we're just going to have to deal."

Malchior snorted, and the dragon on his arm started twisting furiously, breathing fire across his skin. He stomped up to where she stood, pressing his face close to hers. Raven's senses were suddenly flooded with the scent of charred wood, warm earth, and musty, aged books. She tried to take a step back, to put space between them, but found her legs wouldn't move. "Do not try my patience, Raven. I may be bound to the book, but do not forget _who_ I am and what I am capable of."

Raven snorted under the threat and pushed herself up on her tip-toes, so that their noses almost touched. "Do not forget who trapped you in that book the second time, Malchior."

"I won't." Malchior's arms snaked around her waist, yanking her smaller body against his. Heat erupted between them, and Raven thought she might melt in it. She brought her hands up and shoved at his chest, trying to keep him from getting any closer, but it didn't do much good. He leaned down so that his lips nearly touched hers, and a ghost of a kiss started to form. "But be advised, Raven, that this is much more than a battle to defeat Rorek." That being said, he released her, and Raven tumbled to her knees, trying to recollect herself. Malchior pushed past her, starting for her door down the hallway.

What had she gotten herself into?

)O(

_I am not sure how edited this is… I got tired to reading through it after a while. I am not always the most magnificent proof-reader. That being said, please leave a review. I love to hear what you think. _


	4. Chapter 3

**Unreliable Narrator  
**Chapter Three

)O(

"You expect me to sleep on the floor? At the end of your bed?... Like a _dog_?"

Raven was unfazed by Malchior's incredulity, and tossed him a pillow, which he didn't even bother catching. "Yes. I do. I don't trust you to behave for anyone else, so you'll be my burden for some time, and you'll just have to deal with the fact that you're going to sleep at the end of my bed." She flashed him a coy smile as she moved to rest in her bed. "I _do_ apologize for the inconvenience."

Malchior glared and cursed at her in his native tongue before sitting down on the floor. There was a long pause as he tried to get comfortable, and then he sighed audibly. Raven rolled her eyes and sat up to find him staring at her, eyes nearly glowing in the darkness. "_What_, Malchior?"

He blinked at her, and then lay back down on the carpet, staring at the ceiling. The silence grew heavy, and Raven thought she might kill him if he didn't speak soon. "I'm getting the distinct impression that after all of this is over, you will betray me and throw me back into the book."

Time stopped. Raven felt her blood boil as she thought about his "observation." He _had _to use that particular word, didn't he? Raven hissed breath between her teeth. "I'm sorry, but did I just hear _you_ accuse _me_ of _betrayal_?" Malchior didn't even bother turning to look at her, and Raven felt anger surge through her veins. The bastard was _trying _to do this to her. Fine, two could play at that game. "Furthermore, I don't ever recall your release being a permanent fixture in our agreement. You asked me to release you to help fight Rorek, nothing was ever said about you _staying_ released."

Malchior finally sat up and stared at her. "You would do this to me? Deny me my freedom? And for what? Because I lied to you to get my way?"

"Because _you _betrayed _me_!" Raven threw another pillow at him and hissed breath between her teeth. Malchior's eyes narrowed but he kept unusually quiet. "Because you had no regard for my wellbeing or my feelings. You didn't just lie to me, you took _advantage of me_ to get your way. You weaseled your way into the darkest hole in my heart just so you could have what you wanted. Tell me why I shouldn't hate you?"

"Because I care for you!"

"You keep saying that." Raven snarled at him. "Maybe it'll eventually become true. Now, go to bed before I lose my temper."

"What do I have to do to prove that I've changed, Raven?" Malchior lay back on the floor and sighed. "I do not wish to take advantage of you, nor do I feel it is necessary."

"_Necessary?" _Raven swore and stood up, moving to stand next to his head. Malchior just stared blankly up at her, and that only angered her more. She wanted to see anger, hatred, some kind of _feeling_, not _indifference. _"When is it ever _necessary_ to take advantage of someone? Furthermore, to take advantage of someone who would have given you what you wanted if you had told the truth in the first place?"

Malchior snorted and closed his eyes. "_You_ would have allowed me to take revenge on a fellow sorcerer? Don't bother trying to pretend that is true, we both know that you would have probably cast another spell on me just to keep me in that damnable book." His lips twitched before turning down in a frown, and Raven wanted to kick herself. She was giving him exactly what he wanted. He _wanted _her to be angry, because then she would make a mistake and something tragic would happen, like falling for his lies again. How could she be so stupid?

"I _should_ have left you in there." Raven gave his shoulder a hard push with her foot. Malchior winced, but gave no other indication of pain. "Just… shut up and go to sleep before I find a valid reason to kill you." Raven crawled back into bed and pulled the book against her chest. Goddess help her if he ever got his hands on it.

)O(

Morning was awkward, to put it politely.

When Raven finally stirred, she opened her eyes to a shadow falling across her deep covers. Malchior was standing next to her bed, his back to her and staring out the window at the sun. Damnit. She had really hoped that everything last night had been nothing more than a nightmare. He glanced down at her as if unconcerned, then turned to look out the window again. Raven groaned and threw her arm over her eyes, trying to block out the light. "Do you have to be so creepy?"

Malchior snorted. "Did I just hear _you _accusing me of being creepy?"

"Yes." Raven grunted and rolled on her side, away from him. "What time is it?"

"Nearing noon."

"Oh my god!" Raven bolted out of her bed, stumbling for her bathroom door. "Are you serious?"

Malchior turned at watched her, and Raven could feel his curious stare follow her around the room. "Do you have somewhere important to be?"

Raven paused and looked at him, eyes narrowing. The movement of his tattoo distracted her for a moment as it shifted restlessly across his skin. "I don't see how my plans are any of your concern." Malchior shrugged and motioned to the book that was still in her hands. Oh. Right. He was tethered to the book, so where ever she went, he had to follow. Great. She shoved hair out of her face and sighed. "I'm going to see a friend of mine."

A strange look passed over his eyes, something dark and unreadable, and Raven took a step back out of surprise. He cleared his throat and leaned back on his heels, his tattoo still making quick, anxious movements. "Unfortunately, due to our current circumstance, I'm afraid I'm going to have to come with you."

"Ugh. Whatever." Raven made her way to the bathroom, moving at a slower pace. What was the point in fighting with him? He was always going to find a way to get under her skin and annoy her. "Just… get ready and leave me alone. And cover your… _mark_ up, you're going to attract unwanted attention." She jumped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She tossed the book on the counter, earning a grunt from Malchior on the other side of the door.

"Will you kindly stop abusing my book?"

Raven had the overwhelming urge to say something rude and profane, but managed to keep her mouth shut, which was probably for the best. She sighed and jumped into the shower, turning the temperature to extra hot. The tenseness in her muscles seemed to ease under the temperature and she let go of a deep breath she had been holding. Everything felt weird now… uncomfortable and awkward. Not that it wasn't before, but there had always been a certain degree of separation between them. She never had to see Malchior face-to-face, only hear him in a book, but now… things had changed. She would be forced to face Malchior every day until she was able to release him permanently.

Her stomach churned under the thought. Malchior, completely released. What if she was wrong, and he had no intention of changing, or even trying to change? Then what would happen? And how would she ever be able to make things right again? The idea was sickening to her, and failure was not an option, not when there were thousands of innocent lives at stake. For now, she had no other choice but to trust the fork-tongued lizard. Raven sighed again and stepped out of the shower. She had a busy day ahead of her, and to add insult to injury she had to bring the bane of her existence everywhere she went now.

"Are you done, Raven?" Malchior sounded anxious. But over what?

"Almost." Raven dressed quickly and opened the door. Malchior was standing next to the frame, scowling as usual. She pushed passed him into her bedroom and quickly made her bed. Malchior's stare seemed to follow her around the room, and it only worsened the tension between them. She looked up and growled. "What's your issue?"

"I am curious as to why you made plans." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Am I not allowed to exist without your permission, oh scaly one?" Raven cringed a little under the glare she received, but it was worth it. Sometimes he really did deserve all the torture she gave him, especially when he treated her like this. Raven sighed as his stare continued. Of course, he would just _stare _her confession out of her. "I am meeting with a friend of mine in regards to your book, I have a few questions I wanted to ask him."

Malchior blinked and cocked his head to the side, as if confused. "And I was not allowed to come to a meeting regarding my own book?"

"Honestly, I didn't think you would be here now. I did not anticipate having to haul a book and a sorcerer around with me." Raven went and pulled her wool coat from her closet. Today was a sans-uniform kind of day. "I just have some concerns and I wanted to ask him about them."

"But not me? Even though it was my prison for a century and I know more about it than anyone else… you still do not want to ask me questions? You want to go to someone else?" His voice was filled with incredulity and he took a step forward. There was a flash of emotion across his face and he looked away from her, still frowning. "The more you speak, the more I become seriously concerned that you will not uphold your end of our bargain, Raven. What kind of secrets do you wish to keep from me?"

"There's a reason they're called 'secrets', Malchior. And there were some questions I wasn't sure if you would give me a straight answer or if you even _had _the answer. It seemed better to me to ask a third party, than to get a convoluted answer to a very serious question." Raven picked up the book and started for her bedroom door. Malchior followed the pull of the book and trailed right behind her, cursing under his breath. Raven rolled her eyes at him. "Stop whining like a child and hurry up. We're going to the bookstore."

Malchior said something in his native tongue, but still followed her out of the tower with few protests. It was a fairly nice day for January. The snow had held off for a few more hours, and there were plenty of people milling around the city streets, shopping or running errands. Unfortunately, Malchior seemed to be a beacon for everything female, which was seriously slowing Raven's pace down. A group of teenage girls stopped and stared at Malchior before turning to each other and giggling. Raven groaned.

"Can't you be less attractive?"

Malchior jerked in surprise and looked down at Raven. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I mean… look at this!" Raven motioned to the street around her, where women had started to inch closer, trying to get a glimpse of him. "I can't even take five steps without some woman just drooling over you. It's making me sick, and they are starting to get in my way." Raven elbowed a girl in the ribs, but she didn't seem to feel the impact. Great. Raven hissed out another angry breath. "This is annoying."

"I hadn't noticed." Malchior returned his stared to the "Do Not Walk" sign, unfazed.

Raven snorted. "Oh, _please. _I'm sure you had women fawning all over you back in Lamir."

He glanced down at her again, frowning. "Raven… you do realize that different cultures have different ideas on what beauty entails, right?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Yes, and?"

"Well, to put it simply, I was nothing more than an unattractive commoner who happened to be lucky enough to find himself in a position of power. If people thought I was handsome, it was because I was a sorcerer and had nothing to do with my looks and everything with my position in the castle." The light finally turned and they started across the street.

"I find that hard to believe." Raven took a right down a small side street where the buildings were close together, and dirt seemed to know how to procreate rapidly. She side stepped a toppled trashcan, nearly bumping into Malchior.

"And why is that?"

"Because, I think you're…" Raven stopped before the words came out and looked away. That was almost too stupid to imagine. She felt like color flood her face. "Never mind. It's not important."

Malchior paused and looked down at her. "Do you think I am attractive?"

Raven sighed and looked up at him. There was a ghost of anticipation in his eyes as he watched her, and the sight made something in her stomach jump. She ignored the feeling and settled on rolling her eyes. "When you aren't a conniving dragon… absolutely. But those times are rare." She sneered before moving ahead. Malchior grunted as his anger spiked, but what did she care? He was only in this to be released, so why was he concerned about her opinion? And why did it matter if she thought he was attractive or not?

"Raven?"

Raven jumped and turned around, facing a tall, lanky, dark-haired boy who was barely holding onto two paper grocery bags. He took a few steps toward her, but lost his handle on the second bag and it started to topple. Raven jumped forward and snagged the bag before it hit the ground. She smiled at him as she stood up. "Well, Aurelius, you're as graceful as ever."

"Ari, Raven. It's always Ari with you." He smiled back at her and readjusted the bag on his hip. "I heard you were coming by the shop today and realized we were out of tea… as well as a bunch of other things. Grandfather never really gets out that much."

"Well, when you're his age you have to rely on your strapping young grandsons." Ari's face turned red and he gave a nervous chuckle. Raven opened her mouth to say something else, but a cough made her stop. She turned around to see Malchior just staring at her, arms taut against his sides and lips trembling in barely contained anger. Raven rolled her eyes and turned back to Ari, who seemed transfixed on Malchior's form.

"Who's your companion?"

"Ah…" Raven felt color flood her face again and she glanced back at Malchior again, who was still staring at her, but now his arms had moved to cross his chest. Raven bit back a sigh. Did he have to be so creepy? She turned towards Ari again. "Ari, this is who I wanted to talk to your grandfather about… meet Malchior."

Ari paled and looked over at Raven before turning to stare at Malchior. "As in _the _Malchior? Who was defeated by Sir Rorek, who used the ancient book of Nol against him?" Raven nodded, but Ari continued talking. "Malchior _the Dragon_, who destroyed the capitol of Lamir in pure hatred for the queen?"

Malchior growled low in his throat and Raven held up her hand in an attempt to stop him from speaking. It was a useless effort, of course. "Well, _Ari_, the details of that _particular_ story are somewhat debatable."

Ari's lips turned down in a frown. "It's Aurelius, if you don't mind." He looked over at Raven, choosing to ignore Malchior. "If you don't mind me asking… exactly how did _you _happen to meet such an unsavory character as _Malchior_, Raven? You are not exactly the kind of person to hang around…" Ari stopped when he saw the exasperated look in Raven's eyes. He turned away, his face beet red. "I'm sorry, Raven, it's not my place to pry."

"Let's just get going, shall we?" Raven pushed past him and Malchior to continue down the street. She felt Malchior approach her from behind and had to fight off another glare. The air hung around them, waiting in anticipation. Raven sighed. "Yes, Malchior?"

"I do not like the way he looks at you."

"Like a person and not a meal?" Raven glanced over at him before adjusting the bag on her hip. "I'm sorry if that concept is new to you, however it does happen in the real world."

"As if you were a potential mate."  
Raven felt color flood her face again and she turned and glared at him. "And why should that bother you?"

Malchior blinked at her before speaking. "I thought I made my intentions perfectly clear during our discussion in the hallway last night, Raven."

Raven's stomach churned as the memory hit her again and her blush grew darker. Of course, _that_ conversation, he just _had _to bring that up. She huffed out a breath of air. "Please just stop talking and spare me the misery." Malchior opened his mouth to respond, but Raven took a few steps ahead of him, avoiding conversation. Her shoulders slumped as she felt Ari approach her from her other side. "Yes, Ari?"

"I'm sorry, Raven…" His voice was pitched to a whisper, probably in some vain attempt to keep Malchior from hearing. "It's just… I don't feel like you understand the seriousness of this. I mean, this is _Malchior_, the quintessential antagonist in nearly every ballad of Sir Rorek, like Beowulf's Grendal, and he is following _you_ around. It's just not safe and I am concerned for you."

"Ari…" Raven sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Have you ever heard of an unreliable narrator?"

Ari jerked slightly in surprise. "Of course."

Raven just turned to him and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more. Ari shook his head, but kept quiet. Of course Ari's fears were perfectly grounded, the mystery and connotation that followed Malchior's name were enough to strike fear in any heart. But he didn't know about Malchior being tethered to the book, nor did he know about Raven's previous encounter with him. And quite frankly, Ari had no need to know about her previous mistakes with dark magic. That was her own burden to bear, and she would do just that.

The bookshop was right around the corner, tucked in a dark, nearly forgotten alleyway. Kristoff was standing on the front steps, leaning against a gnarled cane. "Why, if it isn't my favorite customer… Miss Raven, I see you've found my grandson. I was beginning to think he'd gotten lost. It has been known to happen." Ari turned red, but said nothing. Kristoff just smiled at Raven and started down a few steps. His eyes drifted over Malchior, lips twitching in thought. "And, I see you've also brought a rather ancient and powerful friend, haven't you?"

Raven nodded. "Malchior's release happened a bit earlier than we anticipated."

"Well, the best laid plans of mice and men and all that…" He looked over at Malchior and gave a small, polite bow. "It's an honor to meet such a talented sorcerer, Malchior. Your work for the castle in the wetlands of Harshaire are quite legendary. The spells were so complex and quite beautiful." Ari made a noise of protest, but was quickly silenced by a look from Kristoff.

Malchior nodded in response. "Thank you, sir." Raven turned and looked at him, but he just shrugged. She continued to stare, and he gave a dramatic sigh. "If you must know, the castle of the neighboring kingdom was destroyed by war, and I went to help rebuild it. I may or may not have added a few precautionary protective spells."

"Unfortunately your spells couldn't protect against the natural elements forever, but you can still feel them even now when you visit the ruins, and they are a millennium old. They were simply amazing." Kristoff glanced up at the sky and took a step towards his front door. "It is going to snow again soon, and getting far too cold for an old man like me. Why don't we come inside and take tea by the fire?"

Ari pushed past Malchior, giving him a glare before following his grandfather into the shop. Malchior glared at the back of his head, mumbling under his breath. Raven grabbed his arm and shook her head. "Just let it go, Malchior." There was a pause before she spoke again. "You've never told me about the castle in Harshaire. I didn't know you were such a humanitarian."

"You never asked about my past, and I am sorcerer… I'm required to uphold basic human necessities, like shelter. It was an oath I had to take when I left the school." He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded towards the bookstore. "I didn't know your bookstore housed an Elder, and an incredibly knowledgeable one at that… I sense he was probably a very talented mage some years ago."

Raven nodded. "Though this be madness there is method in it…I had a reason for coming here, Kristoff accidentally sold me the book of Nol, which is why I wanted to come speak with him."

Malchior raised an eyebrow. "Kristoff did, or was it his clumsy grandson?"

Raven glared at him. "It was a mistake, Malchior, we all make them." She started for the shop's front door. "Would you like me to list some of yours?"

"I'd be more than happy to list yours as well." Malchior followed her inside. The shop was tight, small, and felt as if everything was slightly crooked and leaned to the left. Books were piled from floor to ceiling in haphazard stacks, and Malchior nearly tripped over a small stack next to what might have been a coat rack if it wasn't coated in scrolls and paper. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Will you watch yourself?"

Malchior opened his mouth to respond, but snapped it shut when they heard raised voices from the kitchen.

"Grandfather, I don't care what our duty is! There is a mass murderer standing outside, next to _Raven_. And you're being _nice _to him!"

"The truth, Aurelius, is what we strive for. I cannot stress that enough. Hasn't it ever seemed odd to you that _every_ piece of history about Malchior is the same? He was a deranged sorcerer with a lust for blood… that's all you ever hear. Even the evilest of persons have some supporters, some people who believe that what they have done was just and correct, but Malchior has none… not one person who is on his side, and that does not seem strange to you?"

"He's a _murderer_. And he's following Raven around!"

"And whose fault is that, Aurelius?" There was a long pause and Raven could feel and overwhelming sense of guilt fill the small shop. She took a small step back and looked up at Malchior, who had a look of intrigue on his face. Kristoff clicked his tongue. "It was a mistake and I know that… but now it has become Raven's choice to bear this burden. The only thing we can do is offer her our help."

"I know, grandfather. But… I…"

"Aurelius, I know." Ari shuffled around the small kitchen as he moved to put things away. Kristoff however, never even shifted his weight. "You know my feelings on that particular subject."

Ari grunted. "Yeah, yeah. There will always be time after I train."

"See…" Malchior whispered into Raven's ear. "I told you he was looking at you as if you were a potential mate." Her face flushed and she elbowed his ribs, earning a wince. "What is it with your obsession to inflict bodily harm on me?"

"What is it with your obsession to annoy me?" Malchior just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"No. That is _not _what I have told you about _that _subject… I have told you that no one can make that decision except for you. You either jump into the pool and hope you can swim, or stand at water's edge and assume you cannot." Kristoff moved toward the kitchen door, making a strange, clunky noise. "I am going to entertain our guests, please bring us tea."

"Yeah, yeah…"

There was a sharp smack of Kristoff's cane on Ari's hand. "Don't get sassy with me."

"Sorry, grandfather."

The kitchen door swung open and Kristoff stood there, leaning on his cane and smiling. "Ah… I thought I heard you two come in. Raven, why are you still carrying my groceries? Just put them in the kitchen and let Aurelius take care of them." Kristoff turned to Malchior and nodded. "Why don't we move to the parlor? Aurelius is going to bring us tea as soon as it's done." Malchior followed Kristoff deeper into the shop, and Raven entered the kitchen. Even the counters were lined with books and ancient articles she had no name for.

"Hey, Ari." Raven smiled politely and Ari looked up, blushing.

"Hey, Raven… Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! You've been carrying those groceries around the whole time." Ari moved to take them from her hands and put them on the counter. "I just… forgot."

Raven shrugged. "You got caught up in something else, no big deal."

"I'm still sorry…" Ari turned away from her before glancing over his shoulder. Raven could see the tips of his ears turn red, and she felt color floor her own face in response. Oh no, not good. "Hey, Raven? I was just wondering if maybe… if you have time later… you might want to go… and do something."

"Ari… I…" Raven sighed and shook her head. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I have a lot to handle right now." Ari's face fell and his shoulders slumped. Raven closed her eyes and felt guilt seep through her. Why did she tell him no? Ari had been a good friend to her for several years, and they were fairly close. If he had asked her a week ago, she would have said yes in a heartbeat. But things were so much different now… and Malchior was not the kind of person she should trifle with, in any way. "After all of this is over, Ari… I would love to go and do something with you, but until then… it's just not a good idea."

"Oh…" Ari fidgeted for a moment before looking into her eyes. "I guess I didn't think about it like that."

"I'm sorry, Ari."

"It's okay, Raven…" He tried to look nonchalant, but Raven could see the disappointment in his eyes. He shifted his weight again before motioning for the door. "Grandfather is probably wondering where you are, you better go see him."

"Oh. Okay… thank you, Ari." Raven left the kitchen feeling a little sick to her stomach and wound her way through the maze of books to the parlor. Dusty, dingy light filtered in through the huge display window, where several stacks of books seemed to be showing off their tattered spines. The parlor was just as cluttered as every other space in the house, but in the corner that was a huge, intricately carved desk and an ornate brass cash register. The only sign that this was an actual shop and not a storehouse for books.

"Raven, glad you could join us. Please… have a seat." Kristoff sat in a threadbare, wingback chair next to the fire, while Raven politely moved books of the settee to sit down next to Malchior. Kristoff pulled a pipe out of his pocket and began to clean it. "Malchior and I have just been discussing your peculiar situation. He has shed some interesting shade of light on several questions I had. For example, I always wondered why every ballad painted Rorek as such a golden hero… but it makes sense this way. After all, technically the only person who ever saw and lived through the battle was Rorek." Kristoff glanced at Raven's bag. "So… you have come to me with questions about the book of Nol?"

Raven nodded. She pulled the book out and set it on her lap. "I released Malchior. Twice."

Kristoff nodded. "I know. Malchior informed me of your… unique relationship. He also said that he is still tethered to the book, and must follow you if you move it anywhere. So, what are your concerns?"

"I… I am curious about releasing him fully… I know that Rorek is someone who should not be underestimated, and that I will need all the knowledgeable help I can get. But, what Malchior is asking me to do seems dangerous, and I have to know what the repercussions are of doing something that is so dangerous?" She felt Malchior glare at her, but chose to ignore it. Let him be upset with her, he knew that this was not an easy task for her, and she couldn't make decisions without being prepared. She needed all the help she could get. "He is a dangerous being, and I have considered not releasing him any further."

Malchior growled and looked over at her. "You lied to me?" When Raven didn't turn to face him, he shook his head and sneered. "Of course, I should have known not to trust someone like you."

"You did the same to me! Don't try to pretend that you have the same morals as I do."

"I told you why I lied, there was no excuse for you."

"Other than I cannot trust you? That you've been tricking me at every step of the way?" Raven huffed out a breath of irritated air and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I do not _trick_ you."

Kristoff just chuckled, as if the violent words were nothing more than teasing threats to him. "I see there is a lot more going on than either of you wish to admit."

Raven felt color flood her face and she looked away. "It was a mistake in doing what I did, promising you that I would release you forever, but I would rather live with the guilt of betrayal than the guilt of a thousand innocent lives."

"You are simply _terrible_, Raven. You think that you can sit there in your ivory tower and preach to me about innocent lives?" Malchior was met with silence. He gave a humorless chuckle and stood up. "I see. Well, in that case I will be in the kitchen with the child. Let me know when you're done plotting my demise, oh _heartless _one." He stalked off, leaving Raven and Kristoff in silence.

"Hm…" Kristoff continued to clean his pipe, never making eye contact with either of them. "You love him."

Raven paled and looked at Kristoff, who didn't bother looking up. "_What_?"

"The pain is still fresh, even after all these months, Raven… wounds like that go deeper than you care to admit." Raven had the urge to swear at him, friend or not. How dare he accuse her of something so _vile_? He finally glanced up at her, a small knowing smile on his lips. "But that is just an old, nearly blind man's observation. What do I know?" He paused and packed tobacco into his pipe. "And, we are not here for Malchior, we are here for Rorek. You must keep me on track, Raven, I am getting old and senile."

"I…" Raven tried to keep her emotions at bay, but she was pretty sure she still heard something break on the floor above her. Leave it to Kristoff to upend her life in just a few seconds. "Right, _Rorek_…"

)O(

_So, there it is. I know, the ending is a little all over the place, but I promise it will make sense later.  
Originally this chapter was going to end up like 8000+ words and that just felt too long, but if you want to see a preview of what is to come, visit my blog: __**Running With Toilet Paper and a Princess Wand**__to see what happens next chapter. You can find the URL on my FFnet profile page. _

_Anyway! I am sorry for the radio silence for so long, but I am getting married in a few days and have been crazy busy. Sorry. I'll be back on track soon! Thank you for reading, please leave a review!_


	5. Chapter 4

**Unreliable Narrator  
**Chapter Four

)O(

"Rorek's powers are… daunting to say the least." Kristoff pulled several books off of a lower shelf next to the fireplace. Their spines were worn and faded, the letters had disappeared years ago. Pages were ripped and the leather had started to flake off of the corners. Kristoff dropped one of them in her lap. "This one is the most comprehensive biography and description of his powers. It is vivid and very detailed. However, I will forewarn you that it reads much like a love letter to Rorek. There are times when it is quite tedious and you may experience a desire to throw it at the wall."

"Oh…" Raven opened the book to a gleaming, hand-tipped image of Rorek holding his sword high, foot planted firmly on Malchior's broken neck in an expression of victory. Raven sighed and shut the book. "I see." She glanced down the hall to the sliver of light that slipped from under the crack beneath the kitchen door. A shadow periodically blocked out the light, as if pacing from one side to another.

Kristoff cleared his throat and Raven jumped, turning to look at him sheepishly. She felt red color her face before returning her stare to the book cover. Kristoff pretended not to notice and continued pulling books down from the shelves. "You must, at all times, understand and remember that Rorek has had a millennium to perfect his spells and castings. There is little about the art that he does not know, and compared to you he is far superior and a battle between you and he would result in defeat or something worse." A cold streak of fear ripped through her chest at the thought. Not for the first time in the past few days, Raven began to seriously wonder what she had gotten herself into. Kristoff glanced back at her, dropping another book into her lap. "Malchior, however, is a near match to his skills. Having him on your side would be a very beneficial."

Raven groaned. Of course this would happen to her. Kristoff was essentially telling her that she alone would be unable to subdue Rorek, and the only person who would be able to do so was Malchior. Which meant a whole slew of things that Raven didn't know how to handle. She looked up into Kristoff's weathered face and sighed. "Are you insinuating what I think you are?"

"Raven…" Kristoff sat next to her on the settee and stared at the fire. "You of all people know that things are not always what they seem, stories and _histories_ can always be changed with a few well placed words, and sometimes evil isn't always evil." He turned and looked at her, and Raven felt red crawl up her face and she felt indignant. Of course she knew that evil wasn't always evil, but sometimes it was damn near close. And what was she supposed to think about her own dealings with Malchior? Just pretend that they were drops in the proverbial bucket? Nothing to concern herself with?

"Kristoff…" Raven sighed and pressed a hand to her head. "It's hard for me to accept what happened to me, let alone understand it, but to forget the whole ordeal simply because I need Malchior's powers is… impossible. I can't forget what happened, and I can't forget the connotation his name carries."

"I'm not asking you to forget, Raven… you are correct in saying that is an impossibility, however… Perhaps it is time to identify with Malchior's own strife and perhaps… forgive him?" Raven growled and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring into the fire. Kristoff shook his head and clicked his tongue, displeased. "It is not entirely improbable to think that Rorek has altered his own story. In all the ,time I've been on this earth, and it has been well over a hundred years, I have never heard of any major power not having _any_ supporters. Hitler, a man of _true_ evil, even still has some. Why then would Malchior have none? It is strange and unusual, but then again… so many things are."

"You think Rorek…" Raven couldn't quite finish her thought as her mind seemed to spread out to every possibility and scenario. Would Rorek have wiped the history clean? Would he have tricked the queen and the kingdom's citizens into thinking what he wanted them to think? Would he have destroyed any text containing words of support for Malchior? Any words of his friends? Raven rubbed her forehead, trying to ward off a headache. This was all so much to take in and process.

"Rorek was, and still is, a very powerful man… he had everything to lose if the world discovered the truth."

"Are you telling me you _believe_ Malchior's story?" Raven felt incredulity and betrayal start to choke her. Kristoff was supposed to be her friend and supporter, not take the side of the dragon who used her and threw her away like a piece of trash. Did no one but her understand _what_ Malchior was?

Kristoff sighed and shook his head. "His story is very believable. It makes sense, and to be honest, it fills in gaps in Rorek's own storyline. Why should we doubt Malchior's story? At this point, what does he have to lose? He has already lost the world he held dear, trust of his citizens, all of his friends have turned their backs on him… what more can Malchior _truly _lose?" He turned and looked at Raven, and she felt his eyes pierce her soul, making her core turn heavy with lead. Raven opened her mouth to remind him of her dealings with Malchior, but Kristoff silenced her with a wave of his hand. His eyes turned a shade darker and he pitched his voice to a deep, low whisper. "Is it so hard to believe that someone other than you has been greatly betrayed?"

Raven felt a wave of indignity rise up into her chest, only to crash against the cold, hard surface of reality. Pain ripped through her as she felt the truth weave into her consciousness. Kristoff was right. She was carrying around these emotions and feelings out of spite and anger, but she had never stopped to think that there was more to the story. She couldn't see past her own betrayal to look at Malchior's own story and his own feelings. She couldn't see that there was a reason _why_ this happened to her and to him, and what the consequences were. And yet, she was treating him like everything was his fault. "I… guess I didn't see things that way."

"We all make mistakes, Raven… after a thousand years, I think it's time someone finally forgave him." Kristoff glanced at the clock above the mantel and gave a noise of surprise. "It's nearing dinner-time, and I have yet to prepare anything… what a terrible mess."

Raven glanced out the dingy window behind her and saw the streetlights lit up, reflecting the white surface of snow around the deserted alleyway. She sighed and tucked the books Kristoff had given her into her bag with the Book of Nol. They should return to the tower, Raven had a lot of reading and even more contemplating to do. Kristoff knew his words hit her at her weakest point, and she would be unable to avoid the truth for much longer. She sighed and stood up, offering him a small smile. "I suppose we should take off then… Thank you for everything you've done for me… I really appreciate it, and I will try harder to do what is right."

Krstoff smiled and stood up, enveloping her in a hug. "You are like a daughter to me, Raven, and I hate to see you suffer through this alone. Malchior is not entirely malicious, Raven… you must learn to trust people more." Raven decided not to point out that _trust _was what got her in this predicament in the first place. He pulled away and patted her on the head. "Take care, and if there is anything else I can do for you, do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you." Raven smiled and moved toward the kitchen door, where the shadow was still pacing back and forth in front of it. "Malchior, it's time to return to the tower." The door swung open and Malchior stood there, a frown splayed across his lips. Raven sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to fight with me now?" Silence was her response. Behind him, Raven could see Ari fidget as if he were going to burst at any moment, and she could only imagine what kind of companion Malchior had been to him. "Let's go, Malchior… it's getting late. Good bye, Ari… I'll see you soon."

Ari smiled and raised a hand in some weak attempt of a wave. "Bye, Raven… I'll be around."

Malchior snorted and pushed past Raven to stand in the entry hall. Kristoff stood behind her and smiled. "While you read those books I lent to you, I will see what else I can discover about Malchior and Rorek, and I will have Ari come and discuss my findings with you. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes. Thank you again, Kristoff." She waved again to Ari and started for the exit. Malchior stood there, his arms crossed over his chest, tapping his foot on the weathered hardwood. Tension weaved between them, but what could she do to fix it? She had already made it perfectly clear that she had no plans to release him from his prison completely, but this silence… it still hurt. Raven pulled her wool coat around her tighter before opening the door into the heavy, silent snow. They walked through the deserted streets, listening to their heavy breaths and crunching snow. Raven glanced up at him and sighed.

"Kristoff rallied for you this afternoon." Malchior grunted in response and Raven sighed again, feeling hopeless. This was just impossible! If she was mean, they got into fights. If she was nice, he refused to speak with her. There was no winning with him. "I'm not sure how well I feel about releasing you entirely from the book… but the points he made had merit and maybe with time…" He grunted again and Raven stopped, clenching fists at her sides. "Will you at least _talk _to me?"

"About _what_?" Malchior turned and glared, and Raven took a small step back, her heart jumping to life under her ribs. His eyes flashed with anger and she almost swore smoke was coming from his ears. "You have the upper hand, Raven… do with me what you will. Release me or don't, I don't care anymore."

_That _made her angry. "You care, otherwise you wouldn't be so damn angry!"

"Of course I care!" Malchior snarled at her. "You control my destiny with a few placed words! Yet you deny me the only thing I've asked because of our past… and I am left to live in the shadows of my own mistakes." Malchior sorted and took a few long strides ahead of her. "It's some cruel twist of fate I suppose."

Raven stopped in the snow and watched his retreating form, feeling Kristoff's words tickle her ears. He was right. Malchior deserved a second chance, but could she really give it to him? Could she really forgive him for everything that happened? The pain, as Kristoff and Robin had so tactfully pointed out, was still fresh and her wounds were still trying to heal. This whole situation was so incredibly dangerous. She rubbed the back of her neck and started after him. "I'm sorry."

Malchior stopped and turned around to look at her, shock in his eyes. "What?"

Raven blinked and took a small step back, away from the intensity in his eyes. Why was he staring at her like that? "I… I said I'm sorry. For putting you through this…" Raven felt her shoulders fall and she walked up to him, shaking her head. "I know that this wasn't entirely your fault, although parts of it were, and I just can't shake the past enough to give you what you deserve."

"Which is?"

"Forgiveness…" Raven paused and watched as an unusual shade of red filled his face as he continued to stare at her. She cleared her throat and continued. "You deserve forgiveness from someone, especially from me, but… I just don't have it in my heart to give it to you yet." Raven glanced across the street, watching some girl talk on her cell phone so loud that it echoed down the street. She was apparently having a very verbal fight with her significant other. Raven sighed and looked back up at Malchior, whose face was unreadable. "I want to forgive you, I really do. I want to put all of this behind us and move on… but I just _can't_. Not yet anyways. So, I'm sorry that I can't give you what you want… but can you work with me until we figure this all out? Can we at least stop fighting?"

"I…" Malchior swallowed whatever comment was on his tongue as he looked away. Raven felt the silence grow heavy again, as if Malchior wanted to say something but couldn't find the words, and so he let the emotions just hang in the air, waiting. He glanced down at her and nodded. "I will try to stop fighting with you if you will try to stop fighting with me."

Raven let lose a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her limbs trembled for a moment and she forced a small smile up at him. "Good… then we've reached some kind of agreement." She started down the sidewalk, moving closer to Titan tower. "Now, let's get back to the tower… it's getting cold and I'm sure it's time for dinner."

"Right." Malchior followed after her, still quiet.

)O(

"Did you find out what you wanted?"

Raven jerked and looked up at Robin. He was leaning over the back of the sofa, watching her flip through pages in a book that Kristoff had given her. In the corner of the living room, Malchior sat staring at a _People_ magazine as if it were one of the most useless things in the world. But, like any kind of horrific car crash, he couldn't look away. He turned another page gingerly, as if the paper was coated in poison. Raven felt a small, smile peel across her lips; the sight was rather amusing. She looked up at Robin and shrugged. "Yes. No. Both, I suppose."

"Mm…" Robin looked down at the book in her hands. "And that is?"

"The sappiest love letter to Rorek I've ever read. Kristoff gave it to me to read-up on Rorek's powers." Raven snapped it shut and looked at Malchior before turning to face Cyborg, who was watching television. Her fingers ran across the tattered cover of the Book of Nol, and she handed it to Cyborg, a sinking feeling starting in her stomach. "Do you mind watching this for a few minutes? I'd like to speak privately with Robin for a second."

Malchior looked up, and Raven felt his eyes on her neck. "Something I'm not allowed to hear?"

Raven sighed and turned towards him. His gaze was shadowed by darkness, but that didn't make her feel any less nervous. She waved him off as she stood up. "Stop being so paranoid. I just need a few minutes to speak with Robin. I'm not plotting your demise or planning to rebind you, I just need… some sanity." Malchior opened his mouth to say something but decided against it, and stayed quiet.

"Don't leave for too long… I get nervous when I'm not around to protect you." Malchior turned another page. Raven just rolled her eyes and followed Robin into the hallway, ignoring the jibe. They walked in silence until they reached the end of the hall.

Robin crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "So, what _really_ happened? You two stayed relatively civil all through dinner and considering the noise you both have been making since yesterday… that is some feat."

Raven growled and moved to look out the window. "My friend, Kristoff, decided to lecture me on my dealings with Malchior. He told me I should forgive him."

Robin blinked in surprise. "And did you?"

"No!" Raven snorted and turned back to Robin. "Of course not… but we've come to some kind of agreement not to fight until I can figure out what to _do _with him." Raven closed her eyes and let her weight fall back against the wall. The cool steel seemed to soothe her nerves and she breathed deep, letting it out slowly. She let the silence get heavy around them, listening to the soft noise Robin's fidgeting made. She opened one eye briefly before closing it again. "There's more."

Robin snorted. "There's always more."

"Kristoff made it perfectly clear that we need Malchior fully released and at his maximum potential if we want any hope of defeating Rorek." Raven came to a full standing position and opened both eyes to look at her leader. "He let me know that I am too weak, that Rorek is a millennium older than me, and that I won't last three seconds if we ever went head-to-head." She shook her head. "It made me feel hopeless."

"Oh."

Raven groaned and ran a hand through her hair. "I give you the worst news possible, and all you can say is 'oh'? Really, Robin? Nothing from the detective mastermind, just 'oh'?"

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Robin raised an eyebrow and watched her pace the width of the hallway. "You and I both know that Kristoff is probably right and that we don't hold a candle to Rorek. What can we do but try and trust Malchior? He's clearly the piece we need to help us fight."

"That's what got me here in the first place." Raven threw up her hands. "This is such a mess!"

"Raven…" Robin stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, embracing her. Raven felt her body go weak with the contact and she laid her head on his shoulder. There was always something comforting about being held by Robin, he made her feel protected. Like a big brother. "I know this sucks. I understand… but we can't cut ourselves off from every possible solution. If Rorek is a serious threat to the city, to _you_, then maybe we need to work with Malchior. Maybe we need to make some kind of game-plan."

"I know… I'm just not ready to forgive him yet. I'm not ready for any of this yet." Raven stepped away from him and rolled her shoulders. "And he stresses me out. To no extent."

Robin chuckled. "Maybe if you two stopped fighting for three seconds you'd be able to have a normal conversation and come to an agreement on something."

"Yeah… good luck with that idea." Raven glanced at the moon outside the window. It was high in the sky, signaling the late hour. Down the hall she could hear Cyborg grumble about late-night infomercials. Robin nudged her shoulder and offered her a weak smile that did nothing to calm her nerves. "Stop trying to cheer me up, it isn't working."

"Yeah, I know." He rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Let's just go to bed, and we'll make a decision in the morning, okay?"

"Fine." Raven started for the living room, not looking forward to sharing her bedroom another night. She offered Robin a weak wave. "Good night, Wonder Boy."

He laughed and shook his head. "Night, Rae."

)O(

Raven gasped as she woke up suddenly. Limbs shaking, she looked around her room for something out-of-place. Everything was quiet and dark. Perfectly still, like it should be in the middle of the night. Malchior's heavy breathing could be heard from the floor at the end of her bed, and if she craned her neck just far enough, she could see his left arm sprawled out against her dark carpet, fingers digging into the fibers. The book was still cradled against her chest, the covers still wound around her, and nothing in her room was out of its usual place. So, what had made her wake up?

Raven pushed herself into a sitting position, holding her head and groaning, trying to decipher the numbers on her clock. It was nearing four in the morning, the perfect time for her to be going back to sleep. She yawned and stretched, and the book toppled from her lap, landing on the floor next to her bed. Reaching down to grab it, she could hear another groan come from the end of the bed. Malchior sat up, rubbing his forehead as he turned to face her. Raven felt a growl rise into her throat, it was too early in the morning to be dealing with him.

His eyes locked with hers, and Raven could have sworn they glowed. He glanced at the book then back at her, sighing. "Raven… while I understand your need to exert your dominance over me, waking me up at ungodly hours is not the way I would handle your dissatisfaction with me. Will you please stop jarring the book while I am sleeping? It wakens me."

Raven felt the distinct urge to throw something at his face, like a pillow… or an anvil. The heavier object would be her preference. "Sorry… I just stopped sleeping." Raven shoved at her hair, which was sticking out in all kinds of directions. She tried to tame it, but there was nothing she could do. Sighing, she fell back into the covers, pulling the book close to her chest. "Like there was a disturbance."

Malchior stopped rubbing his face and turned toward her, lips turning down in a frown. "What _kind _of disturbance?"

"I don't know." Raven growled at him again and pulled the covers over her head. "Like I said, I just _woke up_. Now, if you don't mind, I'll go back to sleep."

"Raven…" Malchior's voice was pitched the same way Robin's was right before he jumped into one of his famous lectures. Raven sat up at glared at his dark shape, and he fell silent, lips pursing.

"Not a word, Malchior. I'm _going to sleep._" Malchior snorted and returned to his position on the floor.

"Well… this is quite unusual. The angry dragon is actually _listening _to someone's words." Rorek's voice spilled from the shadows next to her window, and Raven felt her heart drop to her stomach. Malcior jumped to his feet and Raven threw the covers off her and stood, turning on the light. Rorek stood next to the window, arms crossed across his chest, looking displeased. He glanced over at Raven, giving her a polite smile. "I'm very sorry if I disturbed you while you slept, fair maiden, but you have something that belongs to me, and I would be much obliged if you returned it."

"I don't recall the book belonging to you." Raven pulled the book against her chest, glaring at Rorek. She felt Malchior's unease and anger boil behind her. He was shifting his weight back and forth, readying for a fight, and Raven had the distinct impression that if she had not been holding the book and standing between them, there would have been blood. "So, if you could show yourself out, _I _would be much obliged."

"Dear Raven, you have already given Malchior half of what he wants, you have released him from his prison… but he is still tethered to the book, like a dog on a leash." Rorek sneered at Malchior as he cursed loudly, but Rorek didn't seem to be concerned about the threat. "You know that he will manipulate and deceive you to get the rest. There was a reason he was trapped inside that book, a _reason _he is feared and hated."

"I _know._" Raven glared and felt indignant at his subliminal accusation. He was telling her that she wasn't strong enough to handle Malchior, and that she didn't know what she was getting into. And if she seriously stopped to think about it, did she really? After all, there were so many threads to the story it was hard to tell which one was true. So, what if she had chosen the wrong narrator? Raven winced at the thought. Now was not the time to be thinking this, not when she had an intruder who was determined to posses the book, no matter the cost.

"It is a shame that it came this far. He has already started to… how does your American colloquialism put it… ah, 'pull the wool over your eyes'. He has started deceiving you, by not telling you all the truths behind his story." Rorek took a step forward, offering his hand and reaching out for her, trying to look like some mythical white knight. Raven turned and looked at Malchior, and though he was shaking with barely bridled fury, his eyes did not meet hers. He instead stared at the carpet, never saying a word. Her heart fell into her stomach, she had been had… yet again.

"Malchior… what am I missing?"

"I… it has nothing to do with this battle, Raven." He turned at looked at her, eyes steely. "I will tell you when the time is appropriate, but not here, not in front of this… _creature_."

Rorek hissed out a curse. "_Creature_? I am not the dragon who destroyed a capitol."

"Neither am I! I am a man, Rorek, and I was once your friend!" Malchior took a step forward, still growling.

Rorek snorted indelicately. "Since when?"

"Enough!" Raven snarled at both of them, breath hissing between her teeth. "You two are like school boys, fighting in the school yard! We are not children here!"

"I am only concerned for your safety, Raven. You must understand your enemy before you set him free. I will take the book into my own safe keeping until I can destroy him." Rorek held his hand out for the book again, and Raven wasn't sure if she should punch him or take a step back. She settled on a curse and a glare. Rorek stopped advancing and put his hand down, shaking his head. "Fair Raven, you should not be so stubborn. You know what happened last time you released him. His fingers are already wrapped around your heart, readying to pull it out at a moment's notice. Do not let his forked tongue destroy you again."

Raven felt her stomach drop as she stared at Rorek's flawless face. He held some painted look of concern, but she knew it was nothing more than play acting. Raven felt as though someone had read her diary and suddenly knew all the things she tried to keep secret. "How… how do _you _know what happened?" She took a half step back, still glaring at him.

"I always check up on someone who has their fingers on my things." Rorek didn't even look ashamed, the bastard. "Besides, I was concerned about your safety and well being. I do not want something terrible to happen to someone as tender and gentle at you."

_That _was uncalled for. "I am not _tender_!" Raven hissed and threw a pillow at him. He sidestepped it and shook his head, clicking his tongue. "And what happened between Malchior and me is none of your damn business! So, go… throw yourself out a window and blow yourself up!"

"That's no way to treat a guest who has simply come to request his book back." Rorek threw his hands out, and started the words to his spell. The change was immediate. Raven wasn't sure exactly how it hit her so suddenly. The air turned thin and metallic, as if the oxygen were slowly disappearing, leaving nothing in its place. Raven tried to grab a breath to speak, but nothing happened. Her ears started ringing and there was a strange coppery taste in her mouth, like blood. Raven tried to swear and curse, but _nothing_. The ringing got louder and her breaths more shallow. Malchior was yelling at her, jumping to her side, but she barely heard him. Her knees gave out, and she toppled to the floor in a heap of blue.

"Raven! Damnit!" Malchior started to chant, but Rorek kept casting his spell and there was a sudden burning inside Raven, twisting and thrashing inside her bones. It felt like… a microwave oven, as though she was cooking from the inside out. She tried to scream, but nothing would come out, not even a ragged breath. Malchior's panic hit her, and Raven tried to glare. She didn't need his pity, she needed him to stop this. "Stop it! Rorek you're killing her!"

Malchior yelled something in his native tongue and jumped forward, throwing a hefty right hook across Rorek's face. Blood poured from his nose and Rorek stumbled backward, holding his face. He hissed something back at Malchior, but that only angered Malchior more and he threw another punch at Rorek's face. They shouted at each other, and through Raven's eyelashes she could see bright showers of spells. Malchior yelled something vile, and then silence. Raven's eyes flew open and searched the shadows for Rorek, but he seemed to have disappeared. Or Malchior sent him to another dimension.

"Raven!" He fell next to her body, pushing her hair off of her face. Raven glared and tried to move away from him, but she was completely still. Her limbs lay dead next to her, and her blood stilled in her veins. It was as if her body had simply stopped. Another wave of panic hit her and Raven tried to squirm again, nothing happened. "I'm sorry, Raven… I'm so sorry." His hands ripped open her uniform at her chest, exposing her pale skin. What the hell was he doing? Raven tried to swear at him, tried to fight him, but she just lay on the floor, gasping for breath, unable to move. Her heartbeats seemed to slow, more space growing between them. What was happening to her, was she dying?

"Please… find it in your heart to forgive me." Malchior leaned down and kissed her naked sternum, whispering long, rhythmic words into her heart. There was a flash of white, and Raven's breath filled her lungs again. Blood returned to her veins and movement to her arms. She gasped at sat up, shoving Malchior away from her. Fumbling for the edge of a blanket she glared at him.

"What the hell happened?"

Malchior's lips pressed together in a thin line, and he stared out the window, as if expecting Rorek to return any moment. Raven wasn't stupid, she knew he would eventually, but so suddenly? Or was Malchior just avoiding the situation? "You've learned first-hand what Rorek's powers take their energy from. Unfortunately you're the only person I've known to live from it."

"Hm…" Raven took a few minutes to savor the air around her. It had felt like she was drowning or that her lungs were simple disappearing from her body. She took another deep breath, letting the coolness weave through her. She glanced over at Malchior, who still refused to look at her. Raven cocked her head to the side. "What happened to me?"

"You were disintegrating from the inside out." Malchior offered her a broken smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "He was siphoning the life source from your body to feel the energy needs of his spell. No matter the spell, it will attach to the closest life source and pull out whatever energy it can. I've developed a barrier for it… but you have not and so the spell attacked you. It's a rather nasty way to die."

"Clearly…" Raven noticed one streak of silver in his hair next to his face. That had not been there before. There was a cold, sinking feeling in her stomach as she stared at him. Something serious happened in her near-comatose state. Raven swallowed a lump that started to build in her throat. "What did you do?"

"I… I did the only thing I could…" He looked guilty as he turned to face her, and that made Raven all the more nervous. "I… gave you some of my life source."

"You did _what_?" Raven glared at him, anger and hatred flaring up into her chest like fire. What give him the right to do that? To play with those bonds? "What in the nine levels of hell were you thinking!"

"I was thinking I might save your life!"

"But… you… and now…I…" Raven shoved the sleeve of her uniform up, and on her right forearm sat the same dragon tattoo as Malchior's. It slithered under her skin, moving around as if newly brought into life. Raven rubbed her palm over it, trying to erase it. It just moved under her touch, confused by the contact. "I'm _bound to you_, you _idiot_!"

"I was expecting a 'thank you for saving my life'." Malchior rolled his eyes and leaned back on his heels, watching her.

"I'm _bound to you, you're bound to the book, so we're both bound to the book._" Raven grabbed a pillow and started hitting him with it. Malchior held up his hands to protect his face, but that didn't deter her in the slightest. "What were you thinking! You _wanted this_ didn't you? So I'd have to break the spell! So I'd _have _to fully release you! Because now we _both _can't do anything without that stupid book next to us!"

"That was not my original intention." Malchior grabbed the pillow from her and moved closer. Raven tried to move away, but toppled to the floor. Malchior grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head, pressing her body into the carpet. "I was trying to save you, Raven. I didn't have the luxury of time, a few more minutes and you would have been _dead_, reduced to ashes. I didn't have a _choice_. I either killed him or saved you, and I chose the latter… although don't ask me why."

"You're a bastard." Raven glared.

"So you've told me."

)O(

_So… there it is! Please leave a review, I love to hear what you liked or didn't like, what needs to be chaged. Etcetera. Thank you!_


	6. Chapter 5

**Unreliable Narrator  
**Chapter Five

)O(

An angry knock from the door silenced both Malchior and Raven. Of course they would have woken the team. There was enough noise and sorcery in Raven's room to wake the whole _town._ Cursing, they glared at each other before Malchior rolled off her, moving toward the door. With each step he took Raven could feel a string tighten inside her chest, like someone had wound an invisible thread around her sternum and was gently tugging. The more space Malchior put between them, the stronger the tugging became, until it felt like someone was trying to rip her sternum out with a steel cable.

Raven bit back a scream and reached out to him. "Stop! Please!"

Malchior had already paused next to the door, sweat smeared across his face and his hand at his chest. He was in the same amount of pain, even from this small space between them. He looked back at her before looking at the book, which had fallen to the other side of the room. "We need to get the book."

Raven was about to say something snide and rude, but another, more urgent knock sounded from the door again. "Raven? Are you okay? We heard yelling and… banging." Cyborg's lack of tact made Raven's face burn red and she glared at Malchior, who simply rolled his eyes in response.

"Yes. We're fine… we…" Raven glanced at Malchior who nodded in approval. They needed to tell the others what had happened. Including the bond that both Raven and Malchior now shared. _That _ought to be an interesting conversation. "We had a run-in with Rorek. There was a fight."

Any silence that might have still been left in the tower was quickly banished by Cyborg's screams and curses, and the other Titans came running without fail. They were now all pounding on the door asking a million questions at once. Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and held back a curse. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the brand of her dragon slither in annoyance.

"Is it always going to move like this?" Raven cursed and rubbed at her forearm, trying to wipe the thing away.

"Yes. Your dragon will always reflect your emotions, whether you want it to or not, unfortunately." Malchior moved toward the book again and picked it up. There was a moment of heavy silence as he stared at it, before looking back at Raven. Raven tried to read his expression, but the only thing she saw was the green storm brewing in his eyes. "And don't talk about your mark as if it is something inanimate. It has its own feelings, you know."

Raven's eyes narrowed at him. "No. I was _unaware_, that this… _thing_ has feelings. In fact, I never _wanted _to know that it had feelings. I never even _wanted it_!"

"If you would have rather I let you suffer and die, why don't you just say so and stop harassing me." Malchior laid the book at her feet and frowned at her, as if disappointed. Raven said something rude in her native tongue, but it didn't faze him. Nothing really fazed him lately.

There was another round of banging and yelling and promises to breakdown the door unless she opened it. Malchior sighed and took a step away from her, holding out his arms in defense. "Let's… let's stop fighting, this isn't the time for it. Get up and get dressed so we can explain everything to your friends."

"_Fine_." Raven crawled to her feet trying to hold the tattered edges of her uniform together. Malchior stood there, arms crossed against his chest, and stared. Raven felt color erupt across her whole body, and she forced another glare. "Will you _turn around _and give me some privacy at least?"

Malchior blinked, his face stoic. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"You…" Raven bit her tongue and forced back a string of curses she didn't even know hid inside her. Glaring, she picked up the book at threw it at him, but he dodged the projectile and it flung into the far wall. The shockwave rippled through her like an earthquake, and both her and Malchior fell to their knees, cradling their bodies. Raven held her head, trying to stop the ringing inside her ears.

"Don't do that!" Malchior glared at her, his hands cupping his ears. "Every damage done to the book is done to us. We are part of the book and part of each other. So, start behaving like it!" He cursed at her and stood up, turning around to face the wall. "Now, get dressed. I promise I won't look."

Raven crawled to her feet, her legs still a little shaky from the aftershocks rippling through her body, and stumbled to her closet. Quickly she discarded the tattered remains of her uniform and pulled on a fresh one. She glanced over her shoulder to see Malchior with his back still towards her. Good. At least he was _trying _to behave, that was something. She turned around and faced him, plastering her usual frown on her lips. "I'm done."

He glanced at her and nodded. "Well, then I suppose we tell your friends the whole story."

"Before they get a SWAT team into my room preferably." Raven made her way to the door and threw it open, glaring up into Cyborg's angry face. He opened his mouth to make some kind of remark, but Raven silenced him with a raised eyebrow. "Stop looking at me like that. And stop trying to break down my door."

Robin pushed out from behind Cyborg and looked from her to Malchior. "What happened?"

"Rorek decided to attack." Malchior's voice was no-nonsense and something in the severity of his tone made everyone look toward him. There was a long pause before he continued. "He came to Raven's room in search of the book of Nol and me. Raven did her best in trying to defend both, but she was unfortunately no match for him. His magic needs energy to manifest, and it took the only natural energy it could, which was Raven's energy." Malchior's fingers wrapped around her wrist, and he gently pushed the fabric of her uniform up to her elbow. He pulled her forearm out into her friend's views, and Raven felt color burst across her face. _Why _was he doing this to her? "She was in danger and I did the only thing I could to save her."

Robin's eyes flitted between their slithering tattoos before looking up at Malchior. His eyes might have been masked, but there was no mistaking the heavy stare in him. "What… exactly _happened _in there? What did you _do_?"

"She was dying." Malchior glanced down at Raven who felt her face burn red with embarrassment. Wasn't there any way to explain what happened without making her sound like an invalid? "I had no choice. I either gave her my life source and bind her to the book with me, or I let her die. I… I couldn't let that happen. So, I did what I could."

"You bound her to you?" Robin's voice was so low and serious, that Raven wasn't even sure it was him talking. She looked into his eyes and nodded slowly.

There was a long pause, and then an almost rehearsed collective gasp from the other as they finally put all the pieces together.

Raven felt something in her stomach turn over and she stared at the floor, trying to keep from getting lightheaded. What was this awkward, uncomfortable twisting between her lungs? She glanced up at Malchior and realized his face was pale, as though he looked how she felt. Raven pushed the thought to the back of her mind and returned her eyes to her friends. "I'm alive, that's what's important… unfortunately, now I have to play by the same rules as Malchior. I cannot travel far from him or the book."

"Raven…" Robin reached out to touch her, but Raven flinched away, her eyes not quite meeting his. He must have put all the pieces together by now. He _was _a detective after all.

"I'm… all sorts of messed up, guys… I'm sorry."

"We're just glad you're okay, Rae." Beast Boy shook his head and wrapped her in a very unwanted hug. She fought against his arms, trying not to swear. Goddess, he smelled like wet dog. Starfire decided it was time to join in the festivities of hugging and her arms wrapped around both of them, squeezing air from Raven like water from a sponge.

"Oh, dearest, Raven! Your safety is most important to us!"

Cyborg and Robin snorted, but decided not to try hugging her. They knew better. Hugging Raven was like signing your own death certificate.

"Yeah, yeah. Get off." Raven pushed at her teammate's arms until they managed to peel off her body and she was able to grab a few breaths of air. That strange feeling in her stomach returned, but she shoved it off. Hopefully it wouldn't be around for much longer. Raven glanced at her friends and offered a small, lopsided smile. "Thanks for looking out for me though."

"So…" Robin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels and stared at Raven and Malchior again, his stare still heavy. "What should we do about this? I mean… what _can _we do about this? You're both bound to the book until…" His words drifted off, knowing that the end of the sentence would have struck a chord with Raven.

Malchior, undeterred by Raven's wrath, finished it for him. "Until we are released from it."

Silence fell around everyone. They seemed to know what this meant without even having been told. If Raven was to release herself from the book, she would have to release Malchior as well. The spells were intertwined, and even if Raven could manage to pick apart what was her bond and what was his, the moral implications of releasing solely herself were too much to handle, even for her.

Raven glanced up into Malchior's face, who simply stared down at her, as if chastising her for whatever traitorous thoughts she might have. She sighed and returned to look at her friends. "It's the truth, we are _both_ bound to the book, so we_ both_ need to be released from it."

Robin's eyes flitted from Raven to Malchior and back again. "You don't have much of a choice now, do you?"

Raven cringed under the shocked stares of her friends. It was one thing to have this discussion in private, but to throw her thoughts and concerns out in the open where everyone, including Malchior, could see them, that was an entirely different matter. Now, all her teammates knew that she had been waffling with whether or not she would fully release Malchior. She sighed and looked at her friends. "I guess I don't. We'll begin work on breaking the spell tomorrow."

Next to her, Malchior raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Just like that? No whispering in the hallway and private meetings with your friends?"

Raven felt that familiar bubble of annoyance and anger rise up into her chest. He couldn't _stop _for five minutes, and _not _pick a fight with her? She cursed under her breath and stared at him. "_Yes_, just like that. And, unfortunately, there isn't exactly a whole lot of privacy between either of us anymore."

Malchior gave a bark of humorless laughter. "If I knew it was going to be this easy to convince you, I would have bound you to the book a long time ago." His eyes narrowed, and Raven felt that alien, fluttery feeling in her stomach morph into burning anger, her expression reflecting his own. "It would have saved me the trouble of trying to make amends and repairing the pain I caused. Clearly you don't need that from me anymore."

"I thought we agreed _not _to pick fights." Raven looked up at him, ignoring the heavy, careful stares of her friends. While this was not the first fight they had witnessed between the two, it _was_ one the first initiated by Malchior. And he could be just as mean and catty as Raven.

"We did… I suppose you're right." Malchior looked at her, eyes darkening. "But our agreement still doesn't change the fact that you would have rather left me bound to this book, than giving me the freedom and chance to redeem myself."

Raven snarled at him. "I am _not _doing this. Not with _you_ and not right now."

"Then when _will _we have this conversation, Raven?" He pressed close to her and her friends took a cautious step back. Two very powerful magic-wielders were starting to fight, and that could not end well. "Because whenever the conversation of my release comes up, you find some way to skirt around the subject or the issue. You never want to address anything head-on." He leaned down so that their noses almost touched and snarled. "Like the _demon_ you are."

_That_ was uncalled for and rude. Raven shoved at his shoulders and put space between them. "What do you want from me, Malchior? To sit there at your feet and grovel for giving me part of your life? You could have let me die and escaped with the book, you could have fought against Rorek and destroyed him as well. Saving me changes absolutely nothing between us, or our agreement."

"Is that how you see it, Raven? That I only look out for just myself in spite of our history together?"

"Yes!" Raven stood on tip-toe to look him in the eyes. "_That_ is exactly what I see. You've never looked out for anyone besides yourself, never cared for anyone besides yourself, I don't know why I expected things to be different now. Nothing has changed."

"Nothing?" Malchior took a half-step back, his expression of anger transforming into hurt. The air between them turned thick with emotions and Raven felt herself tremble under the weight. "You have _no _indication of what _has_ changed between us?" He stared at Raven's confused look before he shook his head and looked away, lips tugging down into a frown. "Well, imagine that… an empath who can't feel the most important emotion of all. I never expected to see _that _from _you_."

There was a long pause before Robin and Cyborg gasped and stared at him, their eyes widening and their mouths falling open in shock. However, Starfire and Beast Boy appeared oblivious to the realization. Raven looked from her friends to Malchior and back again. Exactly what did they know that she didn't? Cyborg stepped forward and placed a heavy hand on Malchior's shoulder, shaking his head. "Are you _serious_, man? _Really_?" When his response was a cold, deadpanned stare from the sorcerer, Cyborg snorted. "That is dumb. Straight-up, flat-out _dumb_."

Malchior raised an eyebrow and shook the hand off his shoulder. "Do you think I don't realize that? I know it's a stupid choice, but unfortunately I don't get a say in the matter."

"I don't like being kept out of your conversation." Raven crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at them. Keeping secrets was one thing, keeping secrets about _her_ was an entirely different game in and of its self. "You're talking about this as if it's some big, important secret."

Robin tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's because it is, Raven."

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. The night washed over her, her friends emotions washed over her, and there were still alien feelings and emotions swimming around in her body. Stress lay heavy on her shoulders and she felt like her body was about to break down any moment. "_Look, _it's nearly three in the morning, and I would like _one _night of uninterrupted sleep. Just one. I am going to pretend that this…" She motioned to a sheepish looking Cyborg and Robin. "… _conversation _never happened. Then just _maybe _I won't feel the need to kill one of you. Good night."

With that speech, she took the book from Malchior's hands and walked into the room, slamming the door close behind them. She could hear a few grumbles and insults from her friends on the other side, but chose to ignore them. They would get over it. Malchior cleared his throat, and Raven gave a sideways glance at him. He just stared at her, eyebrow peaked.

"You have a penchant for verbal dramatics."

Raven sneered at him. "Did I just hear _you_ accuse me of being dramatic? Your magic is so boisterous and flashy I can see it from a mile away."

Malchior gave a half-hearted shrug and sat down on the edge of her bed, looking up at her. There was a long, heavy pause as they looked at each other, and Raven stared down at his dragon, slithering in anticipation across his skin. "Are you truly going to release me, Raven?"

Raven glanced back into his intensely green eyes and frowned. "Yes. Why shouldn't I? I have no desire to be bound to you or to the book for the rest of either of our lives."

"Will you rebind me when you've finished releasing both of us?"

Raven sighed and sat next to him on the bed. "What's with all the questions so suddenly?" He just spent the last half hour with her friends, arguing with them and her, and embarrassing her, but now it was as if he was finally realizing the severity of the situation they were in. Malchior had bound her to him and the book, and that meant that they would have to work with each other and get along with each other, or their situation would feel more like hell than it did now.

"I'd like to know my fate if I could. If you wish to destroy me forever or if you wish to keep me free."

"You haven't earned your freedom yet." Raven fingered the pages of the book of Nol, and she felt a gentle tingle run down her spine, as if someone was touching her. She glanced over at his defeated expression. "But I don't want to give up hope that there's still some good in you." Raven caught the sight of her own dragon slithering violently up and down her forearm, reflecting her own confusion and apprehension. She pulled her sleeve down over it and looked back at Malchior. "I don't want you to think that I'm not grateful."

Malchior kept his face blank, moving his tattoo out of her line of vision. "For what?"

"For saving me." Her eyebrows knitted together, and those alien feelings in her chest twisted again. "You _could _have let me die and you didn't. I'm still… _wary _of you and your intentions, but I don't want you to think that I'm not _trying _to forgive you."

"Well, I appreciate the sentiment, Raven, but it doesn't change the fact that you don't _want _to forgive me. You still believe that I am going to let you down or betray you again." He stared into her eyes and frowned. "Right now, I would rather have your trust than be released."

Raven snorted indelicately. "I find that hard to believe."

Malchior gave a wan, humorless smile. "You would." He sighed and moved to his makeshift bed on the floor, and lay down, making sure his back was towards her body. "I am tired, Raven. Tomorrow we will work on breaking apart the spell."

"Oh… okay." Raven felt her eyebrows knit together as she stared at him. After the violent outbursts in the hallway, she expected more of a reaction out of him, but he kept quiet. Raven crawled back into her own bed and stared at the shadowy lump on the floor. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to let sleep take her away. "Thank you, Malchior."

The air stilled and Raven could hear him shuffling at the end of the bed. "You're welcome."

)O(

Raven was dreaming. She had to be dreaming, because it appeared to be a perfect summer day, and she was standing in the middle of an endless field, staring into the face of a dragon. Tall grasses brushed against her thighs, alerting her that this was more than _just _a dream. It was real. Deep green eyes stared back at her, and the dragon bore his teeth, as if both sneering and smiling at the same time.

"You're here… I did not think you would ever come here."

Raven looked down at her hands and then at the scenery, as if it were something foreign and unusual. It looked like just a field to her, but you could never tell with sorcery. "Where else would I be?"

"On your own plane of existence. In your own dreams. A million different places, Raven, and anywhere but here. I never expected you to come and see me here." The head of the dragon titled slightly, as if confused. "At least not on this plane before."

"Was I not supposed to visit you?" She thought about his statement a bit longer, chewing on her lower lip. She had moved through different planes of existence before, it was a crucial part in understanding and taming her own powers, but she had never crossed to his own, segregated plane before. Did it have something to do with their new bond? Or was there another force at work? Raven felt her eyebrows knit together and watched the dragon carefully. "Exactly _what_ plane am I on?"

"Where the form of my dragon rests…" Malchior ducked his head a bit lower, looking her in the eyes. The pleasant scent of warm earth and smoke filled her senses, and Raven found herself leaning a bit closer to his body. "We are not one entity, and he remains here when I am in my human form."

"Oh…" Raven reached out and ran her hand over the bumpy, scaled texture of his nose, curious about his body. Malchior's eyes closed in enjoyment and he nuzzled her shoulder a little. Raven stepped back and raised an eyebrow in confusion, exactly what did he think he was doing? Malchior at least had the decency to look a bit sheepish.

"I am sorry, Raven… I have never had the pleasure of someone…" He searched for the right word, and then shook his head. "… petting me."

"Well, aren't you usually trying to burn a city down?" Raven cringed as his wings drooped and he looked away. _That _was a low blow, even for her. "Sorry, that was rude and uncalled for." Malchior snorted a pull of smoke, but she pretended not to notice as she glanced around the field. "So, what am I doing here?"

Malchior tilted his head to the side, as if he were trying to shrug. "I'm not exactly sure… most people can't find their way into this plane. It's designed to be a sanctuary for my dragon, that way I do not bother any other people on a different plane. He can be a bit of a hassle to control sometimes. He's very impulsive."

"Am I here because of our bond?" Raven rubbed her forearm, looking down at the tattoo of her dragon. "Did you summon me?"

Malchior shook his head again. "While I appreciate your company, Raven… I did not summon you here. You are my first visitor ever." He laid down and folded his wings along the curves of his back. "Did you want to come here?"

"Not particularly." Raven slid her fingers behind one of his very bony horns and scratched. Malchior nearly purred in delight, and another puff of smoke escaped. He looked over at her and nudged her shoulder a little, looked somewhere between confused and concerned.

"I am serious, Raven… what _are _you doing here?"

"I don't know…" She pressed a hand to her head and sat down, leaning against his neck. She could feel the steady pump of his blood through his veins, and the slow, gentle pounding of his heart. "One minute I'm falling asleep, and the next minute I wake up here… Like a rift opened up and I was sucked through it." She glanced up at him, still frowning. "Do you think Rorek sent me here?"

"I don't know…" Malchior nudged her again. "With your mind locked in this plane, there is no telling what he could do. You have my protection within our bond, but that doesn't mean I am invincible. With your body unable to respond or attack, he would have full access to your room and the book of Nol."

Raven felt panic rip through her bones and she stood up, trying to keep her emotions under control. "Is that what he's doing right now?"

Malchior closed his eyes and shook his head. "No. My human form is at rest, and your form is too. You are safe for now, Raven…" His eyes opened and he cocked his head to the side. "But that still doesn't explain why you've come to my sanctuary, and how you've gotten here."

"I believe I can help answer that question…"

That voice… had he _followed _her here? Before Raven even had a chance to react, she felt Malchior's body shudder and thrash violently. His wings extended to their full reach, knocking Raven off her feet and sending her flying to the ground. Pain ripped through her body, and she rolled onto her back, watching Malchior roar and howl in pain. He tried to make some kind of incantation, but his mouth was filled with his own thick, black blood and it spilled through his teeth.

Raven screamed and reached out for him.

Rorek stood there, in a patch of dead grass, his hands covered in what could have been tar, but Raven knew better. That was Malchior's blood. He was holding piece of an organ the size of a bed pillow, and it moved and shuddered violently. Raven tried to say something, scream out an incantation, but she could only watch in horror as the field seemed to fill with Malchior's blood. Raven pressed her hands against his ribs, pushing her soul self into his body, and heal him, but it was too late.

His heart was no longer working.

His lungs had stopped breathing.

And his body stilled as the last shudder of death rippled through him.

)O(

_So… I am so sorry it took so long to update this. No, it is not the end of Malchior. I promise there's a lot more that's going to happen. So, please leave a review I love to hear your thoughts!  
Also, I am sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors… I'm not the best proof-reader. Thanks again, and don't forget to let me know how you feel!_


	7. Chapter 6

**Unreliable Narrator**  
Chapter Six

)O(

Raven opened her eyes and stared into the darkness above her. At the end of her bed she could hear Malchior's ragged intake of breath, as if he were fighting some primal emotion tearing at the edges of his soul. A wave of unexpected relief swept through her. His human form was alive, it wasn't much, but it was something she could cling to.

What had she just witnessed? The death of Malchior, or of his dragon? Raven closed her eyes again, trying not to feel Malchior's emotions raking through her powers like hot knives. She needed to be rational, to understand what _exactly _happened. Transfiguration was an aspect of sorcery she barely knew about, let alone comprehended. It was an extremely complex series of spells and castings that morphed both the caster's DNA and soul. If the creature of the transfiguration was killed, but was done so on a separate plane… Raven held her head in her hands. She felt as if she was trying to compute quantum physics while reciting the _Nibelungenlied _in German, it was just too much to take in.

What exactly _happened_ to Malchior and his dragon, and how had Rorek found them? Did he force Raven's own soul onto a plane so he could follow her? So he could gain access to Malchior's dragon? She stilled and listened to the world around her, waiting to hear some disturbance. Her throat felt tight and cold, as if she'd been gasping for air. The night was still around them, thick and soupy like a cool, summer fog. Not good. She threw off the covers and stared down at the end of her bed, looking for Malchior's shadowy outline. He sat there, staring at his right forearm. His tattoo was still against his skin, as if it were nothing more than ink. He moved and looked up at Raven, his expression blank.

"He killed my dragon."

The notes in his voice were so unlike Malchior, so forlorn and distraught, that Raven wasn't even sure it was him talking. She slid down the end of the bed and sat next to him on the floor. What could she say to him or do for him that would make things right again? It wasn't as if he'd lost a pet or a family member, he had lost a piece of himself. A piece of his soul that had become his one solace in during his millennium in solitude. Raven reached out and threaded her fingers through his, leaning against him.

"I'm sorry." And she was. A liar he might be, but no one deserved the punishment that he had endured.

He didn't respond, and Raven felt his body shift as he moved to stare at their hands. Silence enveloped them before he looked into her face, eyes dark with emotions that Raven didn't fully understand. "I have spent a thousand years with my dragon, he has been my companion in solitude, in darkness, and in light. And while he may have been reckless and uncontrollable, he was part of who and what I am."

It was Raven's turn to be speechless, and she couldn't do anything other than continue to hold his hand.

"I am…" He drifted off for a moment before letting go of Raven's hand and standing up. She could feel him bottling his emotions and pushing them to the side. Shock was sinking in, and he had no idea how to even begin to grieve for what he had lost, so he did the only thing that made sense to him. He moved forward, or at least he tried to. "I am… not sure as to what our next step should be in this process."

Raven sighed and looked up at him, frowning. "We take this one step at a time, which means that tomorrow we work on breaking our bonds to the book and to each other."

"Mm…" Malchior paced around her room a few times before looking down at her. "Will you leave me when this ordeal is over?"

Raven nearly choked on her breath as she stared at him. She tried to think rationally and see something logical in his words. He was upset over the loss of his dragon, angry with the way things had turned out for him. He was vulnerable, and in this cloud of vulnerability, he tried to cling to the only thing that he knew: Raven. At least, that was what she would pretend for the moment. "I'm sorry… leave you?"

"If you release me, will you leave me when this is over? When we no longer have a common force to fight?"

"I… I don't know."

He stared down at her, eyes darker than anything she'd ever seen. "Will you keep me?"

It was a request Raven knew she didn't fully comprehend, and she wasn't so sure he knew either. Would she keep him, like a pet? Locked up and waiting for a master? Or, would she… her mind darted back to the enigmatic conversation Malchior had with Robin and Cyborg. What exactly had they been talking about, and why did it seem to run along the same path that she and Malchior were walking now?

"You're not a dog." Raven stood up and looked at him, sighing. "I won't keep you if you don't want to be here… provided you don't give me a reason to lock you back in the book."

Malchior shook his head, a forlorn smile pulling at his lips. "I have no dragon to cause chaos, but now I only hope that I have the right tools to prove to you that I am worthy of your trust." He let the silence hang between them for a moment before turning away from Raven. "I wish to have a moment of solitude, if you do not mind."

Raven nodded in understanding and crawled back onto her bed, pulling the covers over her head and trying to ignore the violent push and pull of his emotions. He was worn to the point of being raw, and every nerve that could have been exposed was. Rorek had succeeded in dominating Malchior yet again. He had been sly and slimy, sneaking into Malchior's dragon's plane of solitude, knowing that he was at his weakest.

Raven felt something in her own heart twist as images from the brutal, bloodied scene replayed in her mind. Fear aside, there was something inside her that mourned the loss of his dragon with him. She tried to hold onto the brief, fleeting memory of the smooth feeling of his scales under her touch and realized that she would never again have the opportunity to witness the frightening magnificence of his dragon. She would never again be able to reach out and touch that part of him, and it was gone forever. Something cold and black blossomed over her heart, and she shivered in the silence of the room. No one should have the right to do what Rorek did to Malchior.

She listened to Malchior's soft breathing, hearing infinitesimal sobs escape from between his lips. Steeling herself against his emotions, she dug her fingers into the softness of her pillow and let sleep sink deep into her bones, taking her away as far from the truth as she sleep could.

)O(

The next day, Raven found herself sitting cross-legged on her bed, paging through the piles of books surrounding her, and trying to ignore the feeling of the steel cable tugging violently at her ribs. In a moment of compassion, she had let Malchior have possession of the book and offered him solitude as he wandered the halls of Titan Tower. The pain that now wracked her body seemed a small price to pay to offer him some amount of mental relief. It was by no means a path to true mourning and healing, but it was a start, and it was something he needed. He had not slept after Rorek's intrusion into his dream, and he was still fighting with the distraught feelings that raced through his consciousness.

Raven leaned back against the pillows stacked on her headboard and let her mind wander for a moment, trying to piece together exactly what happened last night. How in the world had she ended up in that plane of existence? She certainly had no intentions to dreamwalk, and even still, she didn't know if she _could _transfer planes when she was dreamwalking. She sighed and rubbed her sternum, feeling the heat from the spellcraft of the bond explode under her fingertips. It didn't seem right. Could the bond between them be so strong that she was immediately drawn to him through his dreams? Or, was she forced into that existence simply so Rorek could follow her? She didn't have an answer and none of it made any sense to her. Raven was well-versed on a multitude of magicks, but even this was out of her range of expertise.

One thing she _did _know was that she was going to need a drink after all this was over.

Mumbling a curse, Raven rubbed her temples and shifted as Malchior tugged on the book again, creating the feeling of someone yanking on her ribs inside her chest. She rolled onto her stomach and shuffled through a few loose pages of notes and writings from a sorcerer that had died even before Malchior's birth. The language was archaic and she could barely read through some of the sorcerer's writings on transfiguration.

Raven rubbed her forearm, feeling the stillness of her own dragon-shaped mark under her skin, as she searched for any information on bonded familiars or transfiguration between those who had been bounded. But inspite of the extensive knowledge this archaic book possessed, there wasn't any research on the topic. In fact, her and Malchior's case might have been the first in magical history, which would make figuring all of this out that much more difficult. Her head started to swim as the words floated across the pages like little ships on parchment.

"That's enough for today."

She looked up into Malchior's face, the book of Nol wrapped tightly in his arms. She hadn't even heard him come in she was so wrapped up in trying to decipher the text on the page. She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face, frowning. "I was just trying to help. Besides, I thought you wanted to be released from this bond."

"I do." He picked up the book she had been reading and closed it, examining the cover. "But you're reading about transfiguration..." His voice softened and he moved a few books aside to sit next to her on her bed, laying his hand over hers. Heat raced between their touch, and Raven felt her face grow unusually warm, but she managed to resist the urge to pull away.

"I understand and appreciate what you are doing, Raven, but no amount of study is going to get my dragon back. What Rorek did cannot be undone, and I will have to live with the damage of his actions for the rest of my life. Straining yourself is not doing either of us any good." He paused and handed her the book of Nol, a symbolic move of returning control to her. "And, I wish to go out this afternoon."

Raven reeled back, raising an eyebrow. "Go out _where_?"

He shrugged, a movement completely uncharacteristic of him. "I do not have a preference, but I do not wish to be in the tower anymore." He paused for a moment, thinking. "And I am inclined to try one of those _pizzas_ that you and your friends talk about so often."

"I... I guess we can go out and grab a late lunch. I need a few supplies for the spell anyway, my store is low." Raven pushed her hair out of her eyes and stood up, staring at him. She took in his appearance and shook her head. "You're going to have to shower and change... and we might as well get you some clothes that _actually _fit while we're out."

He looked down at the too-tight tee-shirt Robin had lent him, and the jeans that were two inches too short. "I suppose you are right..." He cocked his head to the side and watched her, and Raven could feel the emotions swirling around him like a storm. He opened his mouth several times, as if he were going to say something else, but decided against it. Color filled his face and he looked away, staring intently at the books on her bed. "I will shower in Robin's room, and you may prepare yourself here."

Raven raised an eyebrow, suddenly thinking that this planning of something as simple as changing clothes seemed out of character for him. "I showered already this morning. You can have my shower if you want. There should be clean towels in the cupboard underneath the sink."

He looked down at her, expression indecipherable. "And you wish to remain in your uniform?"

"No... I'll change." She leaned back on her heels and stared at him, trying to understand exactly what he was trying to get out of her. "What is this about?"

He straightened his posture and moved away from her, as if he was trying to keep space between the two of them. After a shocked silence, he cleared his throat and looked away. "I am simply curious about the customs of this era and getting ready for an outing."

Raven crossed her arms over her chest. "You weren't this curious yesterday when we went out. In fact I distinctly remember you being perturbed while I was getting ready."

He gave another shrug. "I was in a different mood at the time."

"And that's justification?" She continued to stare at him, but decided that trying to figure him out at this point wasn't entirely worth the trouble. Rolling her eyes, she motioned toward the attached bathroom in her bedroom. "Never mind, just go shower and we'll pick up what we need to while we're out."

"Mm." He turned and started toward the door, pausing as his hands wrapped around the frame. There was a long pause between them, and finally he turned back around, meeting her eyes with his intense green ones. He stumbled over his words for a moment before managing to find his voice. "I want you to know, Raven, that I am grateful for what you are doing for me. I know that I have not fully regained your trust, and I also know that sometimes I am - or rather I _was - _ more dragon than man, so I understand your need for caution and distance between us... but, please understand that I am _trying_. And, I know you are also trying to learn to forgive me, which is not always an easy task. What I have done in my past is irrevocable, I know that now, but I do not want all your memories of me to be bad."

Raven swallowed hard and stared at him, shocked by his words. She let the silence hang between them for a moment before she found the strength to respond. "I... thank you."

"That is all." With that he disappeared into the bathroom, and Raven was left with his words echoing in the silence of the room. She stood there and stared at the door, her reverie only broken by the sound of the shower turning on. Shaking her head of fog, she moved to her bed and began to organize the books into things she thought were going to be useful, and things that were nonsense. While she was shifting things around, the book that Kristoff had given her on Rorek fell out between two older tomes. She picked it up and paged through the text that did nothing but glorify Rorek's greatness.

_Malchior was only once a man, and since giving himself over to the twisted soul of the dragon, he is as far from human as can be expected. He feels no remorse, he feels no pain, he is nothing more than the blackest, purest evil that exists on this planet. Rorek's battle with him is what saved the world, he is to be honored and venerated. Malchior is nothing more than cursed blood spattered over his glorious sword._

Raven snapped the book shut, and somehow resisted the urge to throw the book at the nearest wall with a curse. Anger flooded her veins and her limbs shook with rage. She knew what those words must have meant to Malchior, especially since he was surrounded by them for a millenium. He was forced to be exposed to the ridicule and the damnation of people who didn't fully understand who or what he was. It wasn't that he was inherently evil or bad, but more that he had been created that way by the words that he was forced to hear over the years.

Raven knew that feeling all too well.

She shoved the book under her bed and continued taking care of of the rest of the things on her bed. When she had finished with that, she quickly changed out of her uniform into a pair of jeans and a black tee-shirt. By the time she was finished, Malchior had stepped out of the bathroom, still dressed in the clothes that were clearly too small for him. He shifted his weight for a moment before moving towards the bed where the book of Nol lay. His fingers moved over the worn, frayed cover for a moment before looking back at her.

Raven sighed and shoved her hand through her hair, trying to figure out something to say to him that would ease his mind, but nothing came to her thoughts. Frustrated more with herself than her situation, she started for the door, shoving the book of Nol into her messenger bag and feeling Malchior follow her. Minutes passed in silence as they walked through the halls of Titan Tower, until Malchior broke it with an unusual question.

"May I..." He stopped walking, which forced Raven to stop as well.

She looked up at him, curious. "What?"

He seemed to steel himself against an invisible attack, and finally finished his question. "May I hold your hand?"

)O(

_I realize that this is not enough to make up for the fact that this has not been updated in years, but please understand that I always enjoy working on this. I will (hopefully) have the new chapter up soon. It's a date/not-date? We'll see. They'll be some fighting and magic and things. _

_Anyway, if you are not utterly furious with me, I would appreciate a review. _


	8. Chapter 7

**Unreliable Narrator  
**Chapter Seven

)O(

Raven stood there, glancing from his hand to his face and reeled back a little. "What?"

His face stayed blank, betraying none of his emotions or thoughts. "Last night, when you held my hand, it comforted me in my time of need. It was a peculiar experience and I only wish to feel those same emotions again. This pain is..." His hand moved to touch his heart and then pulled away, as if he were fighting something inside himself and was ashamed to admit it. "You must understand, Raven, I have never been in a place or had relationships where things like comfort were accessible to me. Having you offer some semblance of this feeling is... _addicting_, to place a word on it."

"My touch is addicting?"

"Your concern for me is addicting." His response was almost too quick, as if knowing that physical connection between the two of them was somehow taboo. He cleared his throat and took a small step back, putting space between them again. His eyes didn't quite reach hers and Raven wasn't sure what she would have done if they had met stares.

"Oh." Raven tried not to let color fill her face as she continued to watch his shuffling form. She debated with herself for a moment on whether or not to tell him no. But a part of her wasn't even sure she _could, _at least not after what had happened to him last night. She didn't _want _to assume the worst between them, more that she felt distance was necessary between them. He had betrayed her, had used her, and he didn't fully deserve her forgiveness just yet.

But he had been trying to make a consistent effort to obtain her forgiveness, and he _had _saved her life. If anything, that had to be some proof that he cared about her safety and well-being at the very least. She glanced back up into his face, letting her mind wander back to the memories of last night. After seeing what she had, she could only imagine the pain he was in. As a companion (or whatever she was), it was impossible to see what happened to him and not feel as though she should extend some kind of comfort.

But, was she giving him comfort and companionship, or was she building some other kind of strange relationship between them? That was an answer she didn't know.

Malchior seemed to sense her hesitation and took another step back to offer more space between them. "Do not misunderstand me, Raven. I have no desire to make you uncomfortable or take advantage of you, I simply wish to have this hollowness extinguished. It was… _is_ such a beautiful feeling to not have to carry the weight around with me, but I understand your reasoning if you refuse. It is not something that is easily acceptable, considering our history."

"That's not it. Our history has nothing to do with my reservation…" Swallowing her fear and her pride, she extended her hand to him, and somehow managed to keep her face blank and her heart from exploding from her chest. "I'll hold your hand, but just for a little bit… and only because I feel bad for you."

She could feel the lightning-quick surge of excitement between them, as Malchior slid his hand into her own, threading his fingers between her own. Heat warmed their palms, and they both stared at her pale, petite hand wrapped up in his scarred one. It was like a lily emerging from the dreary earth of early spring, and looking at the simple image made Raven's heart flutter restlessly against her ribs.

"Come on, we're wasting time." Her voice sounded soft and breathless to her own ears.

"I'll follow you."

It was such a simple statement, but it held so much more than just those simple words. Raven looked up into his eyes, and for the first time in the entirety of their relationship (whatever it was), she saw the veil fall from his face. He stared down at her, and whatever barrier he had built to keep himself safe had melted away into nothingness, leaving him open for Raven's curious exploration. But she couldn't move past the simple idea that they were both trusting each other. He was giving her open access to his emotions and past, and she was giving him her belief in his integrity.

It was a humbling experience.

"Shall we?" His voice was quiet, and it broke the spell threading between them.

"Yes. Sorry." Raven shook her head free of her thoughts and started for the door, trying to fight the feeling of panic rising up inside her. His hand held hers tightly, as if holding onto her was the only solace he had left in this world.

Raven glanced over her shoulder at him, and she could see the barely visible shade of pink that spread across his cheeks. He caught her stare for a moment before looking away, obviously embarrassed by both his request and his reaction to their connection.

Raven focused on his fingers threaded between hers as she stared at the empty hall in front of them. As they walked through the building, a heaviness fell over them, and she began to wonder: what in the world had just happened between them?

)O(

Raven stood outside the men's dressing room, flicking through button down shirts as she listened to the eloquent, foreign profanity spilling from the stall just over the threshold. She bit back a low laugh and watched his feet stumble to get into the jeans she had given him. As a small joke (more to herself than anyone else in the vicinity), she had handed him a pair of ultra-tight skinny jeans, saying that they were the height of fashion and all human males were wearing them now. He took her advice without question, and was now trying to shove his body into something that barely passed as pants.

"I have the distinct feeling that this is some sort of planned jest towards me." He opened the stall door and stared at her with an expression that could have wilted flowers. "Do men actually wear this ridiculous garment?"

"Unfortunately… yes. Although not as often as I said." Raven snorted behind her hand and bit back another laugh, hearing some folded shirts fall to the floor behind her with the force of her powers. He looked utterly ridiculous, like someone had tried to shove his muscular body into thin, dark sausage casing. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help myself. It was just too easy to tease you." She handed him more appropriate-fitting clothing. "Here, these should fit better."

"I do not understand your need to break me." He took the clothes from her, this time considerably more wary of what she was offering. "My… _family jewels_ are being cut off from the circulation to rest of my body."

Color flooded her face, and she actually laughed this time. "Well, we wouldn't want you to start singing soprano, now would we?"

He glowered. "You take great pleasure in teasing me."

"You're just so easy to tease." Raven shrugged and pushed him back into the stall with a flick of her powers. "I promise that those should fit you."

"I do not understand we we can't go to a garment maker or a tailor of some sort."

"Because all normal people get their clothes from the department store." Raven picked up a few more shirts and pants and floated them over the partition of the changing stall. "Tailors are rare to come by and very expensive when you do, and I am not made of money. So, you'll get your clothes like everyone else does."

He sighed, and Raven could hear him struggling with the second pair of jeans. "I appreciate this, Raven, but I do not feel as though this is something I should be wearing. I miss my robes from the palace."

Raven rolled her eyes and leaned against the doorframe into the fitting room. Luckily no one else seemed to be in the room, and they were free to carry on a normal conversation without worry. "Well, they're fresh out of mage's robes, Malchior. You're just going to have to look like a contemporary human."

Her reply was another bout of profanity followed by: "I simply don't understand how men can wear these things. They are going to be absolutely useless in a battle." He opened the door and stared into her face, frustration lining his eyes. "I feel utterly ridiculous in this."

Raven had to look away to keep the blush from showing on her face. He wasn't wearing anything that should have surprised her, but something about how the dark wash jeans and a deep green button-down shirt hung on his body made her heart pound against her chest. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that he was some kind of model. Swallowing her fear, she stepped up to him and unbuttoned the first few buttons of the shirt, displaying the black undershirt beneath, and pulled the shirt tails out of the jeans around his waist.

"Only yuppies and old men button the shirt all the way up and tuck it in." She looked up at him and shrugged, trying to keep her expression blank. He smelled strange, and the scent of new clothes was overpowering the soft scent of old books and fire that normally clung to his skin. Raven found herself missing that particular scent. She stepped back and regarded him carefully. "You look good."

His lips twitched, as if he was surprised by her comment. "You do not need to tease me again, Raven. Your jokes have already been told without much reception from me."

"I'm not teasing you." She shrugged and moved out of his space. "I'm being honest."

His lips twitched again and they stared at each other for a moment before he returned to the stall, undressing. He was quiet for another long moment, before responding with an almost inaudible: "Thank you."

"Mm…" She fought against the blush on her cheeks again and moved toward the exit of the dressing room. "I'm gonna pay for a few things while you get dressed, okay? I won't wander too far, so call out if you need me."

He gave an elegant snort. "Only if you decide it's necessary to have me put on that infernal garment you call 'skinny jeans'."

Raven chuckled and moved from the room, feeling the bond between them tug at her ribs. It hurt a little, but she needed a reason to not be around him right now. Her mind was still racing whatever had happened between them this morning, and it was clearly still affecting her in ways she couldn't quite grasp. She frowned and meandered through the racks of clothing, occasionally picking something up and putting it down again, letting her mind wander for a moment.

This was the first time in the past week where things had finally felt normal, where they weren't at each other's throats and hurling spells and insults from across the room. But the strange thing was that it didn't feel all that _normal_. It didn't feel like it was something that was supposed to happen, and Raven knew exactly why. She knew that she had spent the last several months breaking apart his betrayal and putting walls around her heart, effectively destroying whatever feelings she had towards him. But in these past few days, he had given her another side to him. He was being honest and truthful, although there were parts of his story and history that were completely shrouded in darkness. She wanted to trust him and to forgive him, but she had no way to work around the pain he had already caused.

And then there was the hand holding this morning… like they were some kind of couple. Try as she might to decipher that whole interaction, Raven had nowhere to start. She was completely lost by it's meaning, or even if Malchior meant anything behind it.

All of this was just a big, disastrous mess.

Raven sighed and stared off into the distance, looking at a small display of men's jewelry. Staring back at her was a small, pewter dragon that hung on a leather cord. It had green glass jewels for eyes, reminding Raven of Malchior in more ways than one. It was a cheap piece of jewelry, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from it, and she ended up adding it to the pile of clothes in her hand.

"I am finished."

Raven jumped and turned around to see him standing behind her, clothes in hand. She nodded and took the things from him, trying not to meet his stare. "Come on, Malchior, lets check out, so you can get into some real clothes, and then we can go get lunch."

"Mm…" He looked away for a moment before following her through the rows of clothing, his hand occasionally brushing against hers and sending heat through her skin. "You seem upset, Raven. Is there something troubling you? Something you wish to talk about?"

"No." She threw up her mental barriers before he could probe too deep into her psyche. He had taken to tugging at their bond occasionally when he wanted an answer, and it was starting to get on her nerves. "It's just been a stressful few days for both of us, and I've been having a hard time coping with everything that happened." She gave him a sidelong glance and forced a smile, knowing that it didn't reach her eyes. "I promise, everything is fine."

For a moment it appeared as as though he was going to push the subject, but decided against it and ended up staying silent. Raven was certainly grateful for that, she wasn't sure how much more prying she could take into her personal life. He fell into step behind her, continuing to keep his silence as they walked through the store and checked out, and even stayed silent as he changed from Robin's clothing into his own newly purchased ones.

He emerged from the men's restroom in the dark jeans and green shirt, the top few buttons undone just as she had instructed. As he approached her, Raven could feel the stares and hear the whispers from several female patrons. She fought back a curse and a groan. He'd instantly gone from handsome to ridiculously handsome, and everyone within a three mile radius was going to know.

"Is it acceptable?" He looked down at her, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I do not look like an old man or a… what did you call it? A yuppie?"

"You look fine. Much better than clothes that are too small." She paused for a moment and fished around in her bag. "Here." Raven held out the necklace for him, a blush spreading across her face. "I know it's not much, but I saw it and thought of you… it seemed fitting."

He looked from the small pendant back to her face, eyes unusually wide. "You picked this out?"

"Yes. I supposed." Raven shuffled uncomfortably, looking away from his face. "Like I said, it's not much-"

"Thank you." He cut her off, and dipped his head low.

Raven took the cue to place the small pendant around his neck. Her fingertips brushed the back of his neck, and she felt the jolt of electricity spread between them again at the contact. She pulled back suddenly and felt her face flush vibrantly again, mumbling apologies under her breath. Without any real understanding or realization of his proximity, Malchior leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Another stack of shirts went flying and she stared up into his eyes.

"Thank you," he repeated himself.

"You're welcome."

Another moment of silence passed between them, and Raven moved toward the door, breaking the spell that had been weaving between them. She shook off the strange feeling that was swimming around her chest and motioned for him to follow her. "Come on, Malchior, let's go get lunch before my stomach attempts to eat itself."

"Coming." He fell into step behind her, and Raven could feel the waves of joy that radiated from him. It was as if a simple gift was more than he had ever gotten in his life, and something about that made her sad and a little remorseful.

)O(

"This is delicious!"

Raven jerked back slightly in response to his reaction. She blinked at him for a few moments, trying to decide if that was really Malchior talking to her with such fevered excitement. She looked down at her boring pepperoni pizza and back up at him again. "It's pizza. It's cheese, tomato sauce, and bread. I don't see why it's so exciting."

"I have never tasted anything quite like it before." He muttered between mouthfuls of food. "Lamir was a kingdom on the ocean, and a primary portion of our diet was seafood and a small amount of barley from the fields to the east… tasting spices was something I only had the opportunity to do when I was invited to royal banquets. And cheese was something only the very wealthy had the ability to enjoy."

Raven put her pizza back down on her plate and looked at him, resting her chin on her hand. "What was your life like?"

He stopped eating at looked at her with confusion. "You wish to know?"

"Well…" She shrugged. "People tend to have conversations at lunch together, and you haven't really talked much about what your life was like in Lamir… I suppose now is as good a time as any to talk."

He shrugged, something fairly uncharacteristic for him. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything." Raven watched him carefully, noticing his movements and facial expressions quickly return to his normal standard of stoic. She had hit on a particularly sore nerve. Wincing, she returned to her pizza. "I don't wish to pry, Malchior. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand… I was merely making conversation."

A minute passed in silence.

"I grew up a merchant's son on the southern most edge of the kingdom."

Raven looked up at him, eyes wide. The moment hung between them, and Raven wasn't even sure if she should breathe, lest she break the trust that was building between them.

"We weren't wealthy, but I never wanted for anything. My mother died when I was very young, and my father was left to raise me and my older sister."

"You had a sister?"

"Yes. She was lovely. Blonde and beautiful, and a heart that was made of gold." His fingers ran over the melamine of the plate in front of him, obviously lost in thought. "She was so smart too, a shrewd business woman. She ran my father's business as if it were her own sometimes, haggling and arguing until we got the best deal and other merchants were left running away with almost nothing."

"What happened to her?"  
"She was caught out at the docks one night, watching a shipment come in from across the sea… it was a national holiday and the bars were filled with all kinds of scum that had made its way from the dark underbelly of the city." He picked at the toppings on his pizza, his eyes never meeting hers. "She was caught by a gang of men and forced down as they each took her. When they were done, they threw her body on my father's doorstep, shouting that women had not place outside the home."

Raven's hands trembled, and she shoved them under the table.

"My sister was never the same… how could she be?" He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I was only nine at the time, and I remembered the pain I felt at being so weak that I could not protect my own sister. The one woman I had grown to cherish, the woman who kissed my head and read me bedtime stories of pirates and princesses. They had destroyed her as if she were a thing, and I was too young and too weak to protect her.

"I chased after her attackers that night, and they beat me to a pulp… but I accidentally set their dock storehouse on fire, so I suppose you could say I won the fight." His voice dripped with poison, and he glanced back up at Raven, calming himself down. "At this point my powers had started to manifest, and my father was forced to make the decision on whether or not to keep me at home to help tend to my now broken sister and his business, or to send me away to develop my magical powers."

"And you left?"

"After a year of arguing." He shrugged. "And an accidental fire to his boat. He realized that my powers were out of his control, and while he needed me at his side, I was also a threat to him and his business. So, he sent me away to school. I met Rorek there my first year and we became very good friends. Rorek and I were… well, one of our masters coined the term 'twin demons' and we raised hell wherever we could." A small smirk peeled across his lips. "We were boys, and we did what boys did."

"Cause trouble?" Raven raised an eyebrow, but was met with an unapologetic smile.

"Of course. Pranks were our specialty… we once turned the mess hall into a jungle overnight, complete with great cats and snakes." Malchior laughed. "If it hadn't been such a beautiful and well-crafted spell, I'm sure I would have been expelled. But instead we both got suspended, and passed our final exams with flying colors."

"And what did you do after that?"

"We took the royal magus exam. I beat Rorek's score, of course, and we were both brought onto the royal spellcaster's council. I rose quickly through the ranks and Rorek did as well, although he was always a few steps behind me… that never sat well with him. In his world he had always been first, he had been the best at everything bar none. This was the first time where he came in second to anyone, let alone to a merchant's son."

Raven sipped at her soda, her eyes never leaving his face. "But you were still friends."

"For a while. We had built a bond, and both of us felt the bond had to be maintained out of some convoluted idea of brotherhood. But things changed. In the palace things were… different. We had reached that age where the fairer sex caught our eye, and while I was still focused on my studies, he traipsed around the royal court sleeping with anyone he could get his hands on." He snorted. "Heaven only knows how many bastard children that man has."

Raven blinked in surprise. "And you?"

"I am not so bold or rash that I forget contraceptive charms." He raised an eyebrow, as if silently questioning her. "But I was not completely celibate, no. But I also did not have much time to indulge in flesh, anyway. The one thing they don't tell you about being a royal spellcaster is that the pay… how does your colloquialism put it…? Sucks?"

Raven snorted. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Until you are brought on as the queen's personal spellcrafter, you're lucky to make rent. So, I moonlighted as a boathand for hire. The pay was fine, and long trips meant I had time to devote to furthering my studies. So, I got good at what I do. Very, _very _good. And within a few years I was succeeding my masters, creating spells that were so complex that it put clockwork to shame. Without question, I was brought on as one of the queen's personal spellcrafters."

"And it was then that everything fell apart with you and Rorek?"

"Yes." He picked at his food again. "It was also then that I discovered transfiguration." His hand fidgeted with the dragon pendant hanging just below his throat. Silence passed over them again and his eyes swept up to meet hers. "But that is a story for another time, Raven. I am tired of talking about me."

"Oh." She picked at her now cold pizza and avoided his stare, letting his words slide over her. She had known that his past had been turbulent, but she had no idea the full effect of his life. Her voice felt small when she finally gathered the courage to speak. "Thank you… for sharing, I mean. I know it must have been hard to talk about."

"Mm…" He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "We should be leaving soon. We still have to pick up a few things for the spell."

"Right." She stood up to go pay their bill, but stopped before she left. She ran her fingertips over his hand and tried to offer him a reassuring smile. "Thank you, Malchior… I appreciate that you are trying to be honest with me."

"I only ask that when the time comes, you return the favor."

His eyes caught hers and Raven, not for the first time in the past week, felt as though she was falling into an endless abyss. She gave a slow nod and pulled away, wondering exactly what she had just agreed to.

)O(

_So, I really wasn't anticipating on this date/not date thing going as long as it is, but it should be completed by next chapter and then we can get back into the thick of it. Also, I have to admit that my inspiration to complete this chapter came from_ Sleepy Hollow _(I'm pretty sure that Abby/Ichabod is my new OTP), because Ichabod Crane just seems specifically how I imagined Malchior as a human._

_Anyway, let me know what you think, thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter 8

**Unreliable Narrator  
**Chapter Eight

)O(

Raven felt the push of Malchior's confusion and surprise at the noise that poured from the old, broken speakers above their heads. He frowned as his eyes darted around the room, trying to decipher the purpose of faded band posters and ads for concerts from the previous decade. Grainy guitar broke the silence between them, and Raven looked over at the short, dark-haired boy manning the cash register. It sounded like Derek was in a Black Sabbath mood this afternoon. She gave the greasy shopkeep a half-hearted wave as she moved through the tight aisles of second hand records and CDs towards the smaller shop at the back of the store. The smell of plastic and must gave way to the exotic scents dried herbs and spices, mixed with a little magic.

"Hey, Rae. Haven't seen you in a while. I just had some great old records dropped off, you know, if you want to listen to them." Derek's speech was cut short as he caught the heavy, unguarded stare of Malchior. He dropped his hand and cleared his throat, his voice suddenly an octave higher. "Who's your friend?"

"Just a friend." Raven blatantly ignored the half-hearted attempt to ask her out, and continued on with her original purpose as if she hadn't heard his request. "I'm looking for Mrs. Swan. Is she in the back?"

"Yeah. I think she's with a customer right now, but her granddaughter should be running the register." His dark eyes ran over Malchior's form, as if there was a sudden moment of lucidity in him. Derek might have played the greasy-stoner-kid well, but he was much more intelligent and aware than he let on. "Looking for something in particular?"

Raven shrugged and moved even further back into the store, farther away from him and any more awkward interactions. "You know me, always looking for something hard to find."

Malchior glanced between the two of them with a somber expression before he followed Raven through a narrow door, painted with an intricate mural of multicolored ivy. As they passed the threshold, a whole different shop seemed to exist in the back of the dingy second-hand music store. Shelves of glass and tin jars lined the walls from the floor to the ceiling, printed with names like "Wolfsbane" and "Witch Hazel" in neat, even calligraphy. It was almost as if they had traveled into an apothecary shop from another world.

Raven sighed and let the door close behind her, leaning up against it for a moment. Malchior watched her, his expression unreadable as his eyes searched her face.

"You seem eager to have left that place."

Raven shrugged and made her way deeper into the shop, pretending to inspect a few of the jars and canisters with more exotic sounding names. "I was. He's kind of sleazy, and always tries to ask me out on a date. I don't particularly enjoy carrying on extended conversations with him… there's just something about him that puts me off."

"Ah." Malchior nodded knowingly. "I see."

"... yeah, grandma! I got it."

Raven turned around to see a tall, slender, blonde girl with pretty ice-blue eyes (the same color as Connor Kent's), and a cute, upturned nose smiling at her. "Sorry for the wait! Grandma Swan is with a customer right now, but is there something I can help you with instead?" Her eyes flitted to the man behind Raven and a blush curled up her neck and face as her fingers went to instinctively play with her hair. "Um… hi."

"Hello." Malchior's tone was polite, but detached.

She didn't seem to notice. With a smile and a twirl to her hair, she leaned over the register counter, obviously trying to display her cleavage in her v-neck sweater. "Is there anything _you're_ looking for? Anything I can get you at all…?"

Malchior blinked, as if surprised that she was trying to make some sort of attempt at flirting. "I have no need of the wares in this shop. I came with Raven."

"Oh…" She looked slightly put-out.

"I need to speak to Mrs. Swan." Raven piped up, letting the girl know that _she_ was here as well. "I need a few things that aren't usually on the shelves and she should have them in the back for me." Raven tapped her fingers on her thigh and forced a smile as the girl tried to pay attention to her, but kept getting distracted by Malchior. "I know she's busy, but we'll wait."

"Is that Raven!" A warbled voice spilled from behind the small space farther back into the shop, and a squat, older woman came toddling out into the open. She chuckled brightly and patted her granddaughter's shoulder, pushing her out of the way as she walked up to to the counter. "Miss Raven. It's so nice to see you again!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Swan." She gave the woman a polite smile. "I am in need of a few items that aren't always on the shelves. I was hoping you could help me out a bit."

"Of course! I know some of the things you work with are a little harder to procure, but no worries. I should have what you need." She chuckled and motioned to a heavy, brocade curtain behind her. "Well, I'm in the middle of something right now. I should be done in about thirty minutes if you don't mind waiting." Turning to her granddaughter, she gently pushed the girl toward another, small room off the main shop. "Kelsey, get our guests some tea while they wait."

"Um, sure, grandma." She looked over her shoulder at Malchior again, a blush still staining her cheeks. "Any particular kind of tea you would like?"

"Black is fine. Thank you."

"O-of course." She disappeared into the back and Raven could hear the faint sounds of someone putting tea together.

Raven shook her head. "I wouldn't drink anything she hands you."

Malchior seemed genuinely confused. "And why is that?"

"She's a potion mage's granddaughter." Raven made her way to a velvet wingback chair in the corner of the shop and looked up at him with a smirk. "That's all I'm going to say."

He shook his head and sat down in the chair next to her, stretching out his long legs. "You seem to have this idea that all women have some insatiable need for me."

She gave a one shouldered shrug. "They do." Her eyes flicked over to meet his before turning to look straight-ahead at the wall. "You said it yourself: different cultures have different ideas of what constitutes beauty. Here, in this culture, you're pretty damned beautiful."

He rolled his eyes. "You enjoy teasing me."

"Sometimes." She smirked. "Not all the time."

"And this is which time…?"

Raven said nothing, her lips twitching slightly.

Malchior opened his mouth to speak, but Kelsey came back into the shop with two identical, white mugs filled with tea. Her eyes met Malchior's vibrant green stare and she nearly dropped the mugs as she attempted to get closer to him. He gave her a tight, polite smile and nodded as Kelsey set both of the mugs down on a small side table between him and Raven.

"So, is there anything I can help you with while you wait?"

"No." Malchior reached for his tea, expression blank. Raven couldn't help but think that he enjoyed playing Russian Roulette. "I am not in need of assistance."

"Oh… are you sure?"

"I am most certain."

Kelsey's face fell with a sigh, and she returned to her place behind the register, chewing her lower lip between her teeth. Raven almost felt sorry for the girl. All she wanted to do was try and flirt with Malchior (not that Raven could blame her, after all he was quite handsome) but all he did was keep brushing her off. However, it was probably a _bad_ idea for her to get involved with him anyway. Hell, it was a bad idea for _Raven_ to get involved with him, but she didn't have much choice in the matter anymore.

Shaking her head, Raven reached for the tea closest to her and took a long sip, tasting something sweet and citrusy on her tongue, like hibiscus and candied lemon peel. It tasted vaguely familiar, but also far off and unusual, like she had tasted it once before in another form. Her nose flared slightly and she licked her lips, trying to place the taste. Shrugging, she took another long drink, hoping the hot tea would soothe her nerves.

Malchior sat in silence his expression unreadable as he stared straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought. He appeared considerably calmer since his debacle last night, and while that wasn't necessarily reassuring, it did give Raven a moment to pause and reflect on his personality and their situation. He was trying to make a consistent effort to be more open and honest with her, and since the dragon was no longer tugging at his soul and pressuring him into an impulsive and animalistic personality, he was almost pleasant to be around. She just wished that this metamorphosis didn't have to come at the expense of his dragon, which had been (as far as Raven could tell) a part of his soul for over a millennium.

"You're staring at me, Raven."

She jerked back, surprise filling her face, and stared down into her tea. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing in particular."

"You weren't admiring my beautiful good looks?" Malchior's smirk was the only indication that he was teasing, and Raven felt color curl up her own neck at the jibe. Since when did he develop a sense of humor?

"Were you expecting me to?" She took another long drink of her tea.

"Perhaps."

Raven didn't have a response to that, and instead she stood up to walk around the small shop, suddenly feeling the need to move. Something in her chest twisted and turned, ribboning through her ribs like a serpent was curled around the bones. It felt like she had drank far too many energy drinks and her heart was trying to simultaneously burst out of her chest and race through her body. She shifted her weight on her feet and continued looking over the shelves of jars and canisters.

Malchior watched her for a moment, his smirk transforming into a curious frown. "You seem… discontent."

Raven shook her head and took another long drag of the tea, moving closer to the jars and farther away from him. She suddenly had the strongest desire for space between them, like being too close was going to start a volatile chain reaction that she would be helpless to avoid. Her heart was picking up speed and her fingers felt like they needed to touch something. She looked down at him and felt a flush spread across her face as his vibrant green eyes met hers. Ignoring her racing heart she drank the rest of her tea and moved around the shop.

"Raven… are you certain you are alright?" He set his tea down and stood up, moving to where she was restlessly moving in the corner. "You're quite flush."

Raven watched in horror as his hands moved across her forehead, feeling her skin for a fever. Her internal temperature spiked a few more degrees, and she pushed his hand off of her, glaring into his shocked expression. "I'm fine. I promise."

"You're burning up, Raven."

"I don't see how that's any concern for you."

"Your health is always my concern… especially when your illness seems so sudden." His eyes narrowed and he looked over her carefully, as if trying to discern if she was under the effects of a spell. He glanced down at the empty mug in her hands, and pried it from her trembling fingers. "What was in this, Raven?"

"I assume the same thing that was in yours." She had to take a step back from him, because he was standing entirely _too close_. She could feel the heat radiating off of him like a fire, and he smelled too much like fine, old books bound in leather. Something about the smell drew Raven closer to him, and she felt her heart pick up speed as the scent filled her senses. She had the strongest desire to unbutton the rest of his shirt and nuzzle her head at the crook of his neck, the place where that glorious smell was radiating from.

Malchior's gaze was heavy on her face, and he ran his finger over the rim of her mug before carefully licking the tip of his finger. His nostrils flared and his eyes widened as if something hit him. "_That_ is not the same as my tea, Raven." He turned around and looked at the empty register counter, obviously searching for something or someone. "Although I have a feeling that this particular cup was intended for me."

"What." Raven's question came out more as a statement of shock.

"Your tea was spiked with Lust." He looked down into the cup again and sighed. "I would gather a rather potent form of it too."

Raven took a step back, her mouth falling open in shock. "No. No, this cannot be happening." Her heart picked up speed at the vague possibility of indulging in lustful actions with another person. Seconds ticked by and her mind became a whirlwind of daydreams and phantom images and sounds. A breathy sound escaped her lips and she stepped back from him, trying to gain a fraction of lucidity in heavy mist that clouded her mind.

"Raven. Perhaps we should return to the tower for the evening…" His voice was careful and even, as if he knew he was stepping around landmines that could easily detonate at any second. "It's probably best to avoid contact with other people until this passes."

Raven felt panicked. Staring into his face, she tried desperately to focus on his words, and not be distracted by the slash of his mouth and the fullness of his lips. He was so close to her, close enough that she could close the space between their mouths and ravish him before either of them even realized that she was taking advantage of him.

Raven felt her throat constrict, and she gasped for breath at that thought. What in the world was she _thinking_? This was _Malchior_, and she knew better than to daydream about him.

"Raven. Look at me." His voice called out to her, and she lifted her eyes to meet his own. He groaned and tried to take another step back, but his hip connected with the counter behind him, effectively stopping his retreat. "Raven, please listen to me. We are going to take our things and we are going to return home as quickly as we can. I have had a bad experience with this potion before, and you have not yet experienced the worst of its effects."

Raven's consciousness came up for air enough to realize what he was saying. "It gets worse?"

"Much, much worse." He looked apologetic for a moment.

"Kelsey! You didn't… you idiot girl!" The noise from Mrs. Swan was loud enough to momentarily break Raven out of her reverie. She toddled out into the display area, her hands waving violently as she approached the couple standing in the center of her shop. "Raven, look at me. Did you drink that tea?"

Malchior looked down at the short woman and sighed in annoyance. "We've already discerned that Raven has ingested a Lust potion… courtesy of your granddaughter, I'm sure."

Mrs. Swan groaned and yelled out for her granddaughter again, her round face turning an particularly bright shade of red. "KELSEY! Get out here and face your mistake, right now! I will not be held responsible because you took it upon yourself to _experiment_ with our customers."

The shop was silent, and it appeared as if Kelsey had taken a back exit to an alleyway, desperate to get away from the problem she caused. Mrs. Swan swore under her breath and stared up at the two customers in her shop with a frustrated and exhausted expression. "Damn girl must have run off. I'm going to take it out of her hide later for this."

"It was clearly something that _shouldn't_ have happened." Malchior's voice was stern, as if he was berating Mrs. Swan for her granddaughter's indiscretion. His emotions were a jumbled mess inside his head, and they beat relentlessly on Raven. He dropped Raven's empty mug into Mrs. Swan's hands. "I have the feeling that this particular serving of tea was intended for me, and now because of your granddaughter's desire for my attention we are going to have to postpone the rest of our day to handle this problem."

Mrs. Swan groaned and pinched her nose. "I am aware of this, and I cannot apologize enough for my stupid, hormonal granddaughter's response." She sighed again and shook her head, continuing to mutter under her breath. "If you have a list of what you need, I will make sure that she delivers the supplies to the tower _personally_, and with a full apology."

"That would be _most_ advisable." Malchior wrapped his hand around Raven's wrist and glanced down at her, as she stared off into the space in front of her. "I need to get Raven home and away from others while the effects of the potion wear off, before she does any irreparable actions toward herself."

Mrs. Swan winced again. "I have never had this problem with Kelsey before. She has always been a sweet, shy girl."

Malchior raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "There is a first time for everything, Mrs. Swan. Just be glad we caught this now and not later today when the effects are at their worst." He fished in Raven's messenger bag for a scrap of paper with her neat, even scrawl on it. "Here are the things we need, please have them delivered as quickly as you can."

"I will have these things to you tomorrow."

"Thank you." He looked down at Raven, who was in a daze, stumbling on her feet as wave after wave of emotions crashed over her, like the sea upon the sand.

It felt like her will was being drowned out by the emotions she picked up with her powers; every twist in their conversation could be felt, and Malchior's emotions were the worst. Fear woven with shock, and even just a little bit of aroused excitement buried under his concern seemed to attack her. It was as if he knew the serious implications of the potion, but also had some iota of excitement that something in her was now interested in him. Her mind worked on its own without her logical input, creating images and daydreams that she had never imagined she could have. Things her body was _not_ capable of doing, and feelings that she had never dreamed of having. She twisted against his hold and pulled her wrist free, trying to hold on to some iota of sanity in all of this.

"She needs to rest." Mrs. Swan sighed and placed a cool hand on her forehead. "This should pass by tomorrow morning, but she will need constant supervision until then." Mrs. Swan paused for a moment, as if pondering something. "Unless she wants to go out and indulge in the sins of the flesh, then who are we to stop her?"

Malchior growled low in his throat, the tone sounding more possessive than protective. "That is not safe, and we both know that. These feelings are not her own, and I certainly do not want her to do something she could soon regret."

"In that you are correct." Mrs. Swan moved toward the door, Malchior and Raven following her close behind. "I will have Kelsey drop by tomorrow to make sure everything is back the way it should be, and to make sure you receive the things you need."

"Thank you. And be sure she doesn't try to pull another stunt like this again." Malchior wrapped his hand around her wrist again, and pulled Raven's small frame along with his steps as they exited the store. Her hand twisted in his grip, trying to readjust her grip to hold onto him, and thread her fingers through his own.

"Hold my hand?"

He glanced down at her, his expression a mixture of annoyance and sadness. "I will hold your hand, Raven. But be aware that if you ask any more of me, I will not comply with your demands. Is that clear?"

She nodded and threaded her fingers through his own, tightening her grip with the touch between them. His emotions roared to life at the simple interaction, and Raven felt her body react from the push of his feelings. It was like she was drowning in a sea of pleasure, indulging herself in the unrestrained emotions of Malchior. Excitement and gratification seemed to usurp his initial fear and reservation, and Raven was drawn to it like it was a designer drug and she needed the next hit. Her body and the world around her was a sea of colors and sounds, textures felt as though they were made for her and her alone, and she wanted to touch everything. She swept her eyes up to meet his own, drowning in their kryptonite-colored depths.

"I like this." She ran her hand up his arm and moved closer to him, smelling the heady, drugging scent of him as she closed their much-needed space. "I like this a lot."

Malchior looked down at her, a frown sewn across his lips. His appearance did not reflect the emotions rolling off of him; the emotions that gave Raven her high. He sighed and tried to put more space between them, walking down the chilled sidewalk to the T-shaped tower looming in the distance. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, that is for certain."

"And you're not?" Her voice sounded husky and slurred to her own ears, as if she was drunk. "Your emotions are all over the place, but I can feel your desire." She tightened her hand in his and pulled gently on him, bringing his body around to face her. "I can feel your-"

"Enough, Raven." He turned around and looked down at her with an expression that was far too serious for the situation. What she wouldn't give to replace that look with a smile, or a smirk… or just have him kiss her. He dropped her hand and took a step back from her. "I am serious, Raven. You have been drugged with this potion, and its strength is something that I cannot predict. I am asking that you respect the space between us."

Raven looked up at him, still trying to focus on his words. "Because you don't like me?"

An eyebrow peaked, the only indication that he was finding her ridiculous. "Because you are testing a ability to control myself."

"Oh." A smirk rippled across her lips and she stood on tip-toe to look into his eyes. so green… what she wouldn't give to see them hovering over her as he made love to her. To see them smiling as she gave into the pleasure that was ransacking her body now. "What's the point in trying to control something that can't be? Why don't you just give in…? Just indulge for once in your very long existence? I won't blame you. I won't even blame myself."

"I find that impossible to believe."

"I don't." She smiled and ran her hand down his sternum, the dragon pendant she bought him resting between her hand and his heart. "I think that this is something I've been holding back for a long time, and I'd like to explore it before I lose the courage."

"No." He removed his hand from her chest and took another step back. "I know better than to trust the mind of someone clouded with Lust. Even if you were being honest, and if I were to allow you to… _indulge_ with me, I want it to actually be _you_." He motioned to her body, shaking his head as if in disgust. "I do not want this distorted person who is not the Raven I have come to care for. I want her, not someone whose mind is under the thrall of potions and magic. You cannot fault me for that, can you?"

"No." Raven shook her head and looked down at her feet, a moment of lucidity clearing her senses. She tried to put space between the two of them, but there wasn't enough space in the world that would stop these feelings wracking her body. She was desperate and her conflicting emotions were threatening to tear her psyche apart. "I can't fault you for your reasons, and I know that I should have better control over myself, but I just can't seem to stop myself. I feel… I feel like I'm on fire, and there's nothing that can stop it."

"I know." He sighed and gave her a sympathetic look. "I warned you that it would get worse before the potion ran its course. You are lucky in that your own power will help it pass much more quickly, but it will not be fun." He took her hand again, this time being careful to guard his emotions from her. "Let's just get back to your home, and you can rest in your room without interruption."

She looked up at him, eyes wide and curious. "And you?"

"I will sleep outside in the hall until this passes."

"That's chivalrous of you."

He glanced down at her, face blank. "I am only doing it because I trust myself less than I trust you while you are in this state."

Raven felt a blush stain her cheeks. "Oh."

"Indeed."

)O(

_Hey, look at this. I did this! Haaaaa… sorry it's been so long. I actually had a bit of trouble readdressing this story and this chapter, but I think it should be wrapping up in about five or six more chapters. So, yaaay!  
Anyway, thanks for being awesome and reading the newest addition, and let me know what you think!_


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